Distributed Gateway in Virtual Overlay Networks

A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that when executed by a processor causes a node to perform the following:

• store a plurality of inter-network forwarding policies for a tenant network;
• receive a data packet within a source virtual overlay network located in the tenant network;
• determine a destination virtual overlay network located in the tenant network for the data packet;
• determine whether one of the inter-network forwarding policies is associated with the destination virtual overlay network;
• and
• forward the data packet toward a designated gateway based on the determination that the destination virtual overlay network is not associated with the one of the inter-network forwarding policies,
• wherein the inter-network forwarding policies are a plurality of rules used to exchange traffic between a plurality of virtual overlay networks located within the tenant network.

An apparatus for providing inter-network forwarding, comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive, within a first virtual network, a data packet comprising an Internet Protocol (IP) destination address and a destination address, wherein the IP destination address references an IP address of a destination end point, wherein the destination address references an address of the apparatus;
• a processor coupled to the receiver, wherein the processor is configured to:
• map the IP destination address to a destination address of the destination point and a destination virtual network;
• and
• determine whether an inter-network forwarding policy is stored within the apparatus to forward data packets to the destination virtual network;
• and
• a transmitter coupled to the processor, wherein the transmitter is configured to:
• transmit the data packet toward a designated gateway based on the determination that the apparatus does not store the inter-network forwarding policy used to forward the data packet to the destination virtual network,
• wherein the inter-network forwarding policy determines whether the data packet is exchanged between the first virtual network and the second virtual network.