# US 2022/0045932 A1 · Intent-based network virtualization design > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0045932 A1 - Document ID: US20220045932A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/509,074 - Filed: 2021-10-25 - Published: 2022-02-10 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-15 - Assignees: VMware, Inc. - Applicants: VMware, Inc. - Inventors: Ziyou WANG; Donghai HAN; Mengdie SONG; Rui CAO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220045932A1 ## CPC - H04L 12/4641: {Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272)} - G06F 9/45558: {Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects} - H04L 12/4633: {Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling} - H04L 41/0803: Configuration setting - H04L 41/0853: by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information - H04L 41/0893: Assignment of logical groups to network elements - H04L 41/0895: Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements - H04L 41/122: of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV] - H04L 41/40: using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities - H04L 45/02: Topology update or discovery - H04L 45/04: {Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing} - H04L 45/586: of virtual routers - H04L 47/781: {Centralised allocation of resources} - H04L 47/786: {Mapping reservation between domains} - H04L 47/82: {Miscellaneous aspects} - H04L 47/828: {Allocation of resources per group of connections, e.g. per group of users} - H04L 63/0218: {Distributed architectures, e.g. distributed firewalls} - G06F 2009/45595: {Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Example methods and systems for intent-based network virtualization design are disclosed. One example may comprise: obtaining configuration information and traffic information associated with multiple virtualized computing instances, processing the configuration information and traffic information to identify network connectivity intents and mapping the network connectivity intents to a logical network topology template. Based on a switching intent, a first group may be assigned to a logical network domain and the logical network topology template modified to include a logical switching element. Based on a routing intent, the logical network topology template may be modified to include a logical routing element. A logical network may be configured based on the modified logical network topology template to satisfy the switching intent and routing intent. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for a computer system to perform intent-based network virtualization design for a network environment, wherein the method comprises: obtaining configuration information and traffic information associated with multiple virtualized computing instances deployed in the network environment, wherein the multiple virtualized computing instances include a first group and a second group of virtualized computing instances; processing the configuration information and traffic information to identify network connectivity intents that include (a) a switching intent associated with the first group, and (b) a routing intent associated with the first group; and mapping the network connectivity intents to a logical network topology template, the template comprising network configurations for implementation in the network environment by performing the following: (a) based on the switching intent, assigning the first group to a logical network domain and modifying the logical network topology template to include a logical switching element to provide connectivity within the logical network domain; and (b) based on the routing intent, modifying the logical network topology template to include a logical routing element to provide connectivity between the first group and the second group, or connectivity to an external network, or both; and configuring a logical network based on the modified logical network topology template to satisfy the switching intent and routing intent. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein mapping the network connectivity intents to the logical network topology template comprises: modifying the logical network topology template to include the logical routing element in the form of a tier-1 logical router to provide connectivity between the first group in a first logical network domain and the second group in a second logical network domain. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein mapping the network connectivity intents to the logical network topology template comprises: based on the routing intent for connectivity with the external network, modifying the logical network topology template to include the logical routing element in the form of a tier-0 logical router to connect the tier-1 logical router to the external network. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein mapping the network connectivity intents to the logical network topology template comprises: based on the switching intent for layer-2 connectivity within the first group, assigning the first group to the logical network domain in the form of a layer-2 domain sharing a broadcast domain, the switching intent being a first switching intent and the logical network domain being a first logical network domain. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein mapping the network connectivity intents to the logical network topology template comprises: based on a second switching intent, assigning the second group to a second logical network domain and modifying the logical network topology template to include a second logical switching element to provide connectivity within the second logical network domain. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: configuring the logical network based on a user's approval or feedback on the modified logical network topology template. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the configuration information and traffic information comprises one or more of the following: obtaining the configuration information associated with the multiple virtualized computing instances; obtaining the configuration information associated with physical or virtual networks in which the multiple virtualized computing instances are currently deployed in the network environment; and obtaining the traffic information associated with packet flows among the multiple virtualized computing instances. ### Claim 8 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that includes a set of instructions which, in response to execution by a processor of a computer system, cause the processor to perform a method of intent-based network virtualization design for a network environment, wherein the method comprises: obtaining configuration information and traffic information associated with multiple virtualized computing instances deployed in the network environment, wherein the multiple virtualized computing instances include a first group and a second group of virtualized computing instances; processing the configuration information and traffic information to identify network connectivity intents that include (a) a switching intent associated with the first group, and (b) a routing intent associated with the first group; and mapping the network connectivity intents to a logical network topology template, the template comprising network configurations for implementation in the network environment by performing the following: (a) based on the switching intent, assigning the first group to a logical network domain and modifying the logical network topology template to include a logical switching element to provide connectivity within the logical network domain; and (b) based on the routing intent, modifying the logical network topology template to include a logical routing element to provide connectivity between the first group and the second group, or connectivity to an external network, or both; and configuring a logical network based on the modified logical network topology template to satisfy the switching intent and routing intent. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein mapping the network connectivity intents to the logical network topology template comprises: modifying the logical network topology template to include the logical routing element in the form of a tier-1 logical router to provide connectivity between the first group in a first logical network domain and the second group in a second logical network domain. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein mapping the network connectivity intents to the logical network topology template comprises: based on the routing intent for connectivity with the external network, modifying the logical network topology template to include the logical routing element in the form of a tier-0 logical router to connect the tier-1 logical router to the external network. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein mapping the network connectivity intents to the logical network topology template comprises: based on the switching intent for layer-2 connectivity within the first group, assigning the first group to the logical network domain in the form of a layer-2 domain sharing a broadcast domain, the switching intent being a first switching intent and the logical network domain being a first logical network domain. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim of claim 11, wherein mapping the network connectivity intents to the logical network topology template comprises: based on a second switching intent, assigning the second group to a second logical network domain and modifying the logical network topology template to include a second logical switching element to provide connectivity within the second logical network domain. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises: configuring the logical network based on a user's approval or feedback on the modified logical network topology template. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein obtaining the configuration information and traffic information comprises one or more of the following: obtaining the configuration information associated with the multiple virtualized computing instances; obtaining the configuration information associated with physical or virtual networks in which the multiple virtualized computing instances are currently deployed in the network environment; and obtaining the traffic information associated with packet flows among the multiple virtualized computing instances. ### Claim 15 A computer system, wherein the computer system comprises: a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: obtain configuration information and traffic information associated with multiple virtualized computing instances deployed in the network environment, wherein the multiple virtualized computing instances include a first group and a second group of virtualized computing instances; process the configuration information and traffic information to identify network connectivity intents that include (a) a switching intent associated with the first group, and (b) a routing intent associated with the first group; and map the network connectivity intents to a logical network topology template, the template comprising network configurations for implementation in the network environment by performing the following: (a) based on the switching intent, assigning the first group to a logical network domain and modifying the logical network topology template to include a logical switching element to provide connectivity within the logical network domain; and (b) based on the routing intent, modifying the logical network topology template to include a logical routing element to provide connectivity between the first group and the second group, or connectivity to an external network, or both; and configure a logical network based on the modified logical network topology template to satisfy the switching intent and routing intent. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer system of claim 15, wherein the instructions for mapping the network connectivity intents to the logical network topology template cause the processor to: modify the logical network topology template to include the logical routing element in the form of a tier-1 logical router to provide connectivity between the first group in a first logical network domain and the second group in a second logical network domain. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer system of claim 16, wherein the instructions for mapping the network connectivity intents to the logical network topology template cause the processor to: based on the routing intent for connectivity with the external network, modify the logical network topology template to include the logical routing element in the form of a tier-0 logical router to connect the tier-1 logical router to the external network. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The computer system of claim 15, wherein the instructions for mapping the network connectivity intents to the logical network topology template cause the processor to: based on the switching intent for layer-2 connectivity within the first group, assign the first group to the logical network domain in the form of a layer-2 domain sharing a broadcast domain, the switching intent being a first switching intent and the logical network domain being a first logical network domain. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer system of claim 18, wherein the instructions for mapping the network connectivity intents to the logical network topology template cause the processor to: based on a second switching intent, assign the second group to a second logical network domain and modify the logical network topology template to include a second logical switching element to provide connectivity within the second logical network domain. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The computer system of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: configure the logical network based on a user's approval or feedback on the modified logical network topology template. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The computer system of claim 15, wherein the instructions for obtaining the configuration information and traffic information cause the processor to perform one or more of the following: obtain the configuration information associated with the multiple virtualized computing instances; obtain the configuration information associated with physical or virtual networks in which the multiple virtualized computing instances are currently deployed in the network environment; and obtain the traffic information associated with packet flows among the multiple virtualized computing instances.