Translation of API requests for connection between network management system and managed datacenters

A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a connection server program which, when executed by at least one processing unit, causes the at least one processing unit to perform a method for remotely managing a datacenter by a network management system in a public cloud through a connection agent running in the datacenter, the datacenter belonging to a datacenter group managed by the network management system, the datacenter including a local network manager that does not have a publicly routable network address, and the method comprising:

• establishing a persistent remote procedure call (RPC) channel between the datacenter and a publicly routable network address of a connection server of the public cloud, wherein the RPC channel is initiated by the connection agent in the datacenter and permits the connection server of the public cloud to push data to the datacenter;
• receiving, by the connection server of the public cloud from the network management system, an application programming interface (API) request for the local network manager, wherein the API request is received by the connection server in a first structured data format used by an API of the local network manager;
• translating, by the connection server of the public cloud, the API request into a second structured data format used by the RPC channel;
• sending, by the connection server of the public cloud to the connection agent in the datacenter via the RPC channel, the translated API request in the second structured data format, wherein the connection agent in the datacenter is configured to translate the API request into the first structured data format for execution of the API request by the local network manager;
• receiving, by the connection server of the public cloud from the connection agent in the datacenter via the RPC channel, a response to the API request in the second structured data format;
• and
• translating the received response into the first structured data format and providing the translated response in the first structured data format to an initiator of the API request.

A computer system comprising:

• a public cloud including one or more physical host computers for a network management system and a connection server;
• and
• a datacenter including one or more physical host computers for a connection agent and a local network manager, the datacenter belonging to a datacenter group managed by the network management system, and the local network manager not having a publicly routable network address,
• wherein the computer system is configured to perform the following steps for the network management system to remotely manage the datacenter through the connection agent in the datacenter:
• establishing a persistent remote procedure call (RPC) channel between the datacenter and a publicly routable network address of the connection server of the public cloud, the RPC channel being initiated by the connection agent in the datacenter and permitting the connection server of the public cloud to push data to the datacenter;
• receiving, by the connection server of the public cloud from the network management system, an application programming interface (API) request for the local network manager, the API request being received by the connection server in a first structured data format used by an API of the local network manager;
• translating, by the connection server of the public cloud, the API request into a second structured data format used by the RPC channel;
• sending, by the connection server of the public cloud to the connection agent in the datacenter via the RPC channel, the translated API request in the second structured data format;
• translating, by the connection agent in the datacenter, the API request into the first structured data format;
• executing the translated API request in the first structured data format by the local network manager;
• sending, by the connection agent in the datacenter to the connection server of the public cloud via the RPC channel, a response to the API request in the second structured data format;
• and
• translating, by the connection server of the public cloud, the response into the first structured data format, and providing the translated response in the first structured data format to an initiator of the API request.