# US 2014/0207969 A1 · Address management in an overlay network environment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0207969 A1 - Document ID: US20140207969A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/747,223 - Filed: 2013-01-22 - Published: 2014-07-24 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-22 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Stephan Benny; Amitabha Biswas; Jayakrishna Kidambi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140207969A1 ## CPC - H04L 61/5046: Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses (testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092) - H04L 41/0803: Configuration setting - H04L 41/0895: Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements - H04L 61/103: across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP] - H04L 61/2535: {Multiple local networks, e.g. resolving potential IP address conflicts} - H04W 8/26: Network addressing or numbering for mobility support - H04L 45/64: using an overlay routing layer - H04L 61/5007: Internet protocol [IP] addresses - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Embodiments of the invention relate to overlay network address management. One embodiment includes an overlay gateway including an overlay network manager associated with a physical network. The overlay network manager prevents duplicate address assignment for overlay domains having a first sharing status and performs address translation for overlay domains having a second sharing status. Address translation is avoided for overlay domains having the first sharing status. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An overlay gateway comprising: an overlay network manager associated with a physical network, the overlay network manager prevents duplicate address assignment for overlay domains having a first sharing status, and performs address translation for overlay domains having a second sharing status, wherein address translation is avoided for overlay domains having the first sharing status. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The overlay gateway of claim 1, wherein an overlay domain administrator module assigns a set of address spaces for each overlay domain, wherein the set of address spaces each include an address sharing status indication, and the first sharing status comprises address space sharing with the physical network, and the second sharing status comprises non-sharing of address space with the physical network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The overlay gateway of claim 2, wherein the overlay domain administrator module generates an address space table comprising fields for overlay domain, address space and address sharing status indication, manages addresses for a particular overlay domain only if the particular overlay domain has a shared address space. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The overlay gateway of claim 3, wherein the overlay network manager for the particular overlay domain is activated with a cluster of network managers upon a gateway associated with the particular overlay domain being activated and is deactivated upon the gateway being deactivated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The overlay gateway of claim 4, wherein virtual machines (VMs) of a first overlay domain having the first sharing status communicate with the physical network without requiring address translation, and overlay domains having the first sharing status cannot duplicate address assignments. ### Claim 6 An overlay network system comprising: a physical network; a network manager coupled to the physical network, the network manager creates one or more networks overlaying the physical network; an overlay domain administrator module that assigns a set of address spaces for each overlay domain, wherein the set of address spaces each include an address sharing status indication; and an overlay network manager that prevents duplicate address assignment for overlay domains having a first sharing status, and performs address translation for overlay domains having a second sharing status, wherein address translation is avoided for overlay domains having the first sharing status. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the first sharing status comprises address space sharing with the physical network, and the second sharing status comprises non-sharing of address space with the physical network. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the overlay administrator module generates an address space table comprising fields for overlay domain, address space, and address sharing status indication. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the network manager manages addresses for a particular overlay domain only if the particular overlay domain has a shared address space, wherein the network manager for the particular overlay domain is activated with a cluster of network managers upon a gateway associated with the particular overlay domain being activated and is deactivated upon the gateway being deactivated. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein virtual machines (VMs) of a first overlay domain having the first sharing status communicate with the physical network without requiring address translation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein overlay domains having the first sharing status cannot duplicate address assignments, and overlay domains having the second sharing status comprise control for duplicating address assignments. ### Claim 12 A method comprising: creating a plurality of overlay domains each associated with an underlying physical network; assigning a set of address spaces for each overlay domain, wherein the set of address spaces each include an address sharing status indication; preventing duplicate address assignment for overlay domains having a first sharing status; and performing address translation for overlay domains having a second sharing status, wherein address translation is avoided for overlay domains having the first sharing status. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first sharing status comprises address space sharing with the physical network, and the second sharing status comprises non-sharing of address space with the physical network. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising generating an address space table comprising fields for overlay domain, address space, and address sharing type indication. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein address translation is required for overlay domains having the second sharing status upon crossing domain boundaries. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising managing addresses by a network manager module for a particular overlay domain only if the particular overlay domain has a shared address space. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the network manager module for the particular overlay domain is activated with a cluster of network manager modules upon a gateway associated with the particular overlay domain being activated and is deactivated upon the gateway being deactivated. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein virtual machines (VMs) of a first overlay domain having the first sharing status communicate with the physical network without requiring address translation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein overlay domains having the first sharing status cannot duplicate address assignments, and overlay domains having the second sharing status comprise control for duplicating address assignments. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer-useable storage medium for managing addresses in an overlay network, the computer-useable storage medium having a computer-readable program, wherein the program upon being processed on a computer causes the computer to implement: creating a plurality of overlay domains associated with an underlying physical network; assigning a set of address spaces for each overlay domain, wherein the set of address spaces each include an address sharing status indication; preventing duplicate address assignment for overlay domains having a first sharing status; and performing address translation for overlay domains having a second sharing status, wherein address translation is avoided for overlay domains having the first sharing status. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The program of claim 20, wherein the first sharing status comprises address space sharing with the physical network, and the second sharing status comprises non-sharing of address space with the physical network. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The program of claim 21, further causing the computer to implement: generating an address space table comprising fields for overlay domain, address space and address sharing status indication. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The program of claim 22, wherein address translation is required for overlay domains having the second sharing status upon crossing domain boundaries. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The program of claim 23, further causing the computer to implement: managing addresses by a network manager module for a particular overlay domain only if the particular overlay domain has a shared address space, wherein the network manager module for the particular overlay domain is activated with a cluster of network manager modules upon a gateway associated with the particular overlay domain being activated and is deactivated upon the gateway being deactivated. ### Claim 25 (depends on 20) The program of claim 20, wherein virtual machines (VMs) of a first overlay domain having the first sharing status communicate with the physical network without requiring address translation, overlay domains having the first sharing status cannot duplicate address assignments, and overlay domains having the second sharing status comprise control for duplicating address assignments.