Scaling of virtual machine addresses in datacenters

A network device of a server having a processor and a storage, the network device comprising:na communication unit configured to receive a data packet to be transmitted to a destination in a data communications network;a protocol blind network path indication unit configured to obtain an indicator corresponding to a predetermined network path through an overlay network comprising one or more tunnels having one or more attributes connecting a first network switch to a second network switch in the data communications network, using a destination address of the data packet, the predetermined network path corresponding to one of the one or more tunnels; anda network protocol blind packet generation unit configured to generate a network protocol blind packet including:the data packet, andthe indicator to the predetermined data path in the data communications network, the network protocol blind packet being generated independent of a network protocol of the overlay network.

A network switch having a processor and a memory, the switch comprising:na downstream communication unit configured to receive a network protocol blind packet including a data packet and an indicator corresponding to a predetermined data path through an overlay network comprising one or more tunnels having one or more attributes connecting the network switch to another network switch in a data communications network, the predetermined network path corresponding to one of the one or more tunnels, and the network protocol blind packet being generated independent of a network protocol of the overlay network;a protocol aware network path indication unit configured to obtain information according to a predetermined protocol related to the predetermined data path from a protocol aware correlation storage for transmitting the network protocol blind packet to the data communication unit; andan upstream communication unit configured to transmit a network protocol aware packet via the obtained data path through the data communications network.

A system supporting data communication through a data communications network, comprising:na server and a first network switch;the server being configured to:translate a destination address of a data packet from the first network switch coupled to the server to a second network switch coupled to another server deploying a destination device into an indicator corresponding to a predetermined path through an overlay network comprising one or more tunnels having one or more attributes connecting the first network switch to the second network switch, the predetermined network path corresponding to one of the one or more tunnels; andtransmit the data packet and the indictor to the first network switch, andthe first network switch being configured to:receive the data packet and the indicator;obtain path information corresponding to the data path using the received indicator;generate a network packet header that is compliant with the overlay network corresponding to the path information related to the data path;envelop the received data packet with the network packet header; andtransmit the data packet to the destination device via the data path through the overlay network.

A method for data communications in a data communications network, comprising:nreceiving a data packet to be transmitted to a destination in the data communications network;obtaining an indicator, corresponding to a predetermined network path through an overlay network comprising one or more tunnels having one or more attributes connecting a first network switch to a second network switch in the data communications network, using a destination address of the data packet, the predetermined network path corresponding to one of the one or more tunnels; andgenerating a network protocol blind packet including:the data packet, andthe indicator to the predetermined data path in the data communications network, the network protocol blind packet being generated independent of a network protocol of the overlay network.

A method for data communications by a network switch in a data communications network comprising:nreceiving a network protocol blind packet including a data packet and an indicator corresponding to a predetermined data path through an overlay network comprising one or more tunnels having one or more attributes connecting a first network switch to a second network switch in the data communications network, the predetermined network path corresponding to one of the one or more tunnels, and the network protocol blind packet being generated independent of a network protocol of the overlay network;obtaining information according to a predetermined protocol related to the predetermined data path from a protocol aware correlation storage for transmitting the network protocol blind packet to the data communication unit; andtransmitting a network protocol aware packet via the obtained data path through the data communications network.