Field aware virtual connection discovery

摘要

A method for field aware virtual connection discovery is described. In an embodiment, a set of virtual connection domains and a set of virtual connection connectors are determined from a network. Each of the virtual connection connectors defines a connection between two or more of the virtual connection domains. An initial virtual connection connector is selected and added to a virtual connection map. A packet is generated which represents the selected virtual connection connector. The packet is flooded through the virtual connection domains and virtual connection connectors. Each virtual connection domain or virtual connection connector which the packet passes through is added to the virtual connection map. After the flooding is complete, the virtual connection map is displayed.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
determining a set of virtual connection domains and a set of virtual connection connectors based on a network upon which one or more virtual connections are configured, wherein each of the virtual connection connectors defines a connection between two or more of the virtual connection domains, one or more rules for accepting packets, and one or more rules for rewriting packets, wherein the one or more virtual connections are already existing virtual connections configured on the network; selecting an initial virtual connection connector of the set of virtual connection connectors; adding the initial virtual connection connector to a virtual connection map in association with a first virtual connection of the one or more virtual connections; wherein the virtual connection map comprises a graph of nodes and links; exploring the network, starting from the initial virtual connection connector, and adding encountered virtual connection domains of the set of virtual connection domains and encountered virtual connection connectors of the set of virtual connection connectors to the virtual connection map in association with the first virtual connection, by at least: generating a packet that represents the initial virtual connection connector and flooding the packet through the network starting at the initial virtual connection connector, determining that a virtual connection connector is encountered and added to the virtual connection map when the one or more rules for accepting packets of the virtual connection connector accepts the packet and, when the packet passes through the virtual connection connector, the virtual connection connector applies the one or more rules for rewriting packets of the virtual connection connector to the packet; repeating the generating and determining to update the virtual connection map until all virtual connection connectors in the network are visited, and in response to determining until all virtual connection connectors in the network are visited, displaying the virtual connection map; wherein the method is performed by one or more digital electronic processors.