On the Design of Scalable, Self-Configuring Virtual Networks

Virtual Networks (VNs) provide methods that simplify resource management, deal with connectivity constraints, and support legacy applications in distributed systems, by enabling global addressability of VN-connected machines through either a common layer 2 Ethernet or a NAT-free layer 3 IP network. This paper presents a novel VN design that supports dynamic, seamless addition of new resources with emphasis on scalability in a unified private IP address space. Key features of this system are: scalable connectivity via a P2P overlay with the ability to bypass overlay routing in LAN communications, support for static and dynamic address allocation in conjunction with virtual nameservers through a distributed data store, and support for transparent migration of IP endpoints across wide-area networks.