VLAN Manager for Cloud Network Tag Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cloud computing environments face challenges in managing VLANs, particularly in allocating unique VLAN tags efficiently, as the limited 4094 VLAN tags lead to potential conflicts, and existing standards like IEEE 802.1Q are not transparent to virtual machines, increasing packet size and limiting MTU.
Innovation Solution
A VLAN manager system that allocates free physical VLAN identifiers to virtual VLAN identifiers, using a VLAN mapping table to ensure uniqueness and reassigning identifiers, allowing for transparent management and exceeding the 4096 VLAN tag limit by reusing physical identifiers within zones or through retagging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging is used to create independent logical networks, then network segmentation and security are improved, but the packet size increases and MTU is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a VLAN translation mechanism that acts as an intermediary between virtual and physical VLAN tags. A translation table maps virtual VLAN tags to physical VLAN tags, allowing the system to maintain small original packet sizes while enabling VLAN segmentation functionality through tag translation at network boundaries
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual VLAN management is implemented in cloud environments, then VLAN support is provided, but the complexity of configuration and allocation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automated VLAN tag allocation and management systems that allow cloud environments to self-configure VLANs without manual intervention. The system automatically manages the translation tables and allocates both virtual and physical VLAN tags, reducing configuration complexity while maintaining full VLAN support
Solution Approach 2:
The VLAN translation mechanism serves as an intermediary layer that abstracts the complexity of physical VLAN management from virtual machine operations, allowing automated management while preserving VLAN functionality
3Quantity of substance
If the same physical VLAN identifier is reused for multiple virtual VLANs, then the number of available VLANs exceeds 4096, but VLAN tag conflicts may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the VLAN tagging space into virtual and physical layers. Virtual VLAN tags are used within cloud environments while physical VLAN tags are used in the underlying network infrastructure. The translation table segments the mapping relationships, allowing reuse of physical tags across different virtual environments without conflicts
Solution Approach 2:
The translation table acts as an intermediary mapping structure that resolves potential tag conflicts by establishing unique virtual-to-physical tag mappings, enabling physical tag reuse while maintaining virtual tag uniqueness where required
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to techniques for allocation a VLAN for a deployment by at least one VM provided on a host in a network. The network may be a cloud computing network. The technique proposes a VLAN manager being adapted to allocate free physical VLAN identifier to the requested virtual VLAN identifier. The VLAN manager queries a VLAN mapping table for determining a free physical VLAN identifier. In case the physical VLAN identifier for the requested virtual VLAN identifier is in use a procedure for determining the at least one free physical VLAN is performed. Said determination procedure may be based on pre-defined zoning or it may apply a retagging after a free physical VLAN identifier has been calculated. In the next step the determined physical VLAN identifier is assigned to the requested VLAN. Finally the VLAN switch devices are instructed about the assignment between the virtual and the physical VLAN identifier in order to apply said assignment the data packets over transported over the requested VLAN. The applying may be realized by performing a retagging of the incoming and outgoing data packets between the physical and the virtual VLAN identifiers in a VLAN switch device.