US 2014/0153572 A1 · SOFTWARE-DEFINED NETWORK OVERLAY

Abstract

A software-defined network overlay capability is configured to control one or more overlay networks using software-defined networking (SDN) in which control functions and forwarding functions are separated. The software-defined network overlay capability may be configured to vertically move packets across network layers, e.g., into an overlay network (e.g., into a tunnel via encapsulation), out of an overlay network (e.g., out of a tunnel via decapsulation), or the like. The software-defined network overlay capability may be configured to move packets from native forwarding infrastructure into an overlay network, between overlay networks (e.g., into a first overlay network from a second overlay network without leaving the second overlay network, out of a first overlay network and into a second overlay network, out of a first overlay network while remaining within a second overlay network, or the like), from an overlay network onto native forwarding infrastructure, or the like.

Claims23

Dependent claims

An apparatus, comprising:

a processor and a memory communicatively connected to the processor, the processor configured to:
determine a data flow definition for a data flow, wherein the data flow definition is based on one or more protocol header fields of one or more protocols, wherein the one or more protocols comprising one or more network layer protocols or one or more transport layer protocols;
determine one or more tunneling actions to be performed for the data flow, the one or more tunneling actions comprising at least one of an encapsulation action or a decapsulation action;
and
propagate, toward a forwarding element, control information indicative of the data flow definition and the one or more tunneling actions.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Software-defined network overlay

Life of this patent

Software-defined network overlay

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23