US 11,025,540 B2 · Mobile overlay virtual enterprise network and virtual internet for enterprises

Abstract

An overlay network for use with a data network that routes packets from one location on the data network to another location on the data network, the overlay network comprising one or more software nodes, at least one of the software nodes configured to receive commands from an application, the application including software for generating the commands and sending the commands to the at least one of the software nodes, the commands used by the at least one of the software nodes to control routing of packets, generated by the application, through the data network. In addition, a method of routing packets through a physical network by providing one or more software nodes connected to each other over the physical network to form an overlay network and forming a communications channel between at least one of the software nodes and an application, wherein the application instructs the at least one software node on how to route data over the physical network. Further, a software platform for network communications that includes computer-executable instructions configured to generate a global overlay network, which enables an application to determine a network path through an underlying access network for data generated by the application.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for routing data generated by an application to a destination under control of the application, the method comprising:

a) instructing, with the application, a software node of a global overlay network to initially route the data to a policy-defined target node of an underlying access network;
b) at the policy-defined target node, analyzing, using another software node of the global overlay network or a routing engine:
(1) needs of the application;
(2) a respective real time status of each respective candidate next hop node of one or more candidate next hop nodes;
and
(3) associated paths through the underlying access network to the policy-defined target node, the associated paths comprising at least one path traversing both a mobile overlay virtual enterprise (MOVE) network and a virtual internet for enterprise (VINE) network;
c) selecting, with the another software node or the routing engine, at least one of the one or more candidate next hop nodes of the underlying access network that best meets the needs of the application;
d) causing the data to be routed to the at least one of the one or more candidate next hop nodes of the underlying access network, as selected;
and
repeating steps b)-d) until the data reaches the destination.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Mobile overlay virtual enterprise network and virtual internet for enterprises

Life of this patent

Mobile overlay virtual enterprise network and virtual internet for enterprises

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20