Automatically scaled network overlay with heuristic monitoring in a hybrid cloud environment

An apparatus comprising:

• one or more network interfaces configured to interface with a network;
• and
• a processor coupled to the one or more network interfaces, and configured to:
• start a first cloud gateway virtual network element in a first virtual network;
• send to a second virtual network, across a public network and via the first cloud gateway, one or more first messages comprising information configured to start a second cloud gateway virtual network element and a first virtual switch in a second virtual network;
• establish a connection between the first cloud gateway virtual network element and the second cloud gateway virtual network element, wherein the first cloud gateway virtual network element, the second cloud gateway virtual network element, and the first virtual switch form a first scalable cloud network element that is capable of operating virtual machines in both the first virtual network and the second virtual network;
• send from the first virtual network to the second virtual network one or more second messages comprising information configured to start a virtual machine and a first virtual machine interface configured to allow the virtual machine to access processing resources in the second virtual network;
• and
• store data that associates the virtual machine with the first virtual switch.

One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• start a first cloud gateway virtual network element in a first virtual network;
• send to a second virtual network, across a public network and via the first cloud gateway, one or more first messages comprising information configured to start a second cloud gateway virtual network element and a first virtual switch in a second virtual network;
• establish a connection between the first cloud gateway virtual network element and the second cloud gateway virtual network element, wherein the first cloud gateway virtual network element, the second cloud gateway virtual network element, and the first virtual switch form a first scalable cloud network element that is capable of operating virtual machines in both the first virtual network and the second virtual network;
• send from the first virtual network to the second virtual network one or more second messages comprising information configured to start a virtual machine and a first virtual machine interface configured to allow the virtual machine to access processing resources in the second virtual network;
• and
• store data that associates the virtual machine with the first virtual switch.