System and method for automated virtual network configuration

1. A method of automatically configuring a data network, the data network including a controller and a virtualization host with a hypervisor installed thereon, the method comprising:

determining, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, a channel associated with a first physical network interface in the virtualization host, wherein the channel defines the connectivity provided by the first physical network interface to a plurality of virtual local area networks (VLANs);

determining, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, that the channel is associated with a second physical network interface in the virtualization host, wherein the channel defines the connectivity provided by the second physical network interface to the plurality of VLANs;

automatically creating, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, a virtual switch in the hypervisor for the channel that defines the connectivity provided by the first physical network interface to the plurality of VLANs;

communicatively coupling, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, the virtual switch to the first physical network interface;

communicatively coupling, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, the virtual switch to the second physical network interface;

teaming the first physical network interface with the second physical network interface together utilizing the virtual switch;

receiving a request, at the controller, to boot an operating system image in a virtual machine in the hypervisor, the operating system image requiring connectivity to at least one or more VLANs;

creating, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, a virtual port in the virtual switch for each of the one or more VLANs that the operating system image requires connectivity to;

creating, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller for each virtual port that was created, a virtual network adapter in the virtual machine in the hypervisor;

communicatively coupling, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, each virtual network adapter that was created to a respective virtual port that was created in the virtual switch; and

configuring, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, networking attributes of each virtual network adapter in the virtual machine based upon the one or more VLANs that the operating system image requires connectivity to.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the channel defines the connectivity provided by the first physical network interface to a subset of the plurality of VLANs in the data network.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the creating a virtual port for each of the one or more VLANs that the operating system requires connectivity to further comprises:

creating, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, a first virtual port and associating the first virtual port with a first VLAN of the one or more VLANs that the operating system image requires connectivity to.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the creating a virtual port for each of the one or more VLANs that the operating system requires connectivity to further comprises:

creating, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, a second virtual port and associating the second virtual port with a second VLAN of the one or more VLANs that the operating system image requires connectivity to, wherein the second VLAN is different from the first VLAN.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the creating, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, for each virtual port that was created, the virtual network adapter in the virtual machine in the hypervisor further comprises:

creating, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, a first virtual network adapter in the virtual machine in the hypervisor; and

communicatively coupling, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, the first virtual network adapter to the first virtual port in the virtual switch;

creating, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, a second virtual network adapter in the virtual machine in the hypervisor; and

communicatively coupling, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, the second virtual network adapter to the second virtual port in the virtual switch.

6. A method of configuring a data network that includes a controller, a virtualization host with a hypervisor installed thereon, and a plurality of virtual local area networks (VLANs) associated with portions of the data network, the method comprising:

determining, with the controller, which of the plurality of VLANs that each physical network interface in the virtualization host provides access to, and determining a first set of physical network interfaces that each provide access to the same VLANs;

automatically creating, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, a first virtual switch in the hypervisor, the first virtual switch corresponding to the first set of physical network interfaces;

communicatively coupling, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, the first virtual switch to each of the physical network interfaces in the first set of physical network interfaces;

receiving a request, at the controller, to boot an operating system image in a virtual machine in the hypervisor, the operating system image requiring connectivity to a first VLAN in the plurality of virtual VLANs and a second VLAN in the plurality of VLANs that is different from the first VLAN;

creating, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, a first virtual port in the first virtual switch based upon the connectivity required by the operating system image to the first VLAN;

creating, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, a second virtual port in the first virtual switch based upon the connectivity required by the operating system image to the second VLAN;

creating, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, a first virtual network adapter in the virtual machine in the hypervisor, the first virtual network adapter corresponding to the first virtual port;

creating, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, a second virtual network adapter in the virtual machine in the hypervisor, the second virtual network adapter corresponding to the second virtual port;

communicatively coupling, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, the first virtual network adapter to the first virtual port in the first virtual switch;

communicatively coupling, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, the second virtual network adapter to the second virtual port in the first virtual switch;

configuring, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, networking attributes of the first virtual network adapter in the virtual machine based upon the connectivity required by the operating system image to the first VLAN; and

configuring, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, networking attributes of the second virtual network adapter in the virtual machine based upon the connectivity required by the operating system image to the second VLAN.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining a second set of physical network interfaces in the virtualization host that each provide access to the same VLANs, the second set of physical network interfaces providing access to at least one VLAN that is different from any of the VLANs for which access is provided by the first set of physical network interfaces.

8. The method of claim 7 , further including:

automatically creating, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, a second virtual switch in the hypervisor, the second virtual switch corresponding to the second set of physical network interfaces; and

communicatively coupling, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, the second virtual switch to each of the physical network interfaces in the second set of physical network interfaces.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the operating system image requires connectivity to a second VLAN in the plurality of VLANs that is different from the first VLAN, and the method further includes:

creating, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, a second virtual port in the second virtual switch based upon the connectivity required by the operating system image to the first VLAN;

creating, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, a second virtual network adapter in the virtual machine in the hypervisor, the second virtual network adapter corresponding to the second virtual port;

communicatively coupling, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, the second virtual network adapter to the second virtual port in the second virtual switch; and

configuring, on the virtualization host in combination with the controller, networking attributes of the second virtual network adapter in the virtual machine based upon the connectivity required by the operating system image to the second VLAN.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first set of physical network interfaces includes a plurality of physical network interfaces, and wherein the automatically creating the first virtual switch includes teaming together the plurality of physical network interfaces in the first set of plurality of physical network interfaces.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein configuring the networking attributes of the first virtual network adapter includes configuring layer 3 networking attributes.

12. A data network management system for managing a data network that includes a virtualization host with a hypervisor installed thereon and a plurality of virtual local area networks (VLANs) associated with portions of the data network, the system comprising:

a controller including a processor that is configured to:

determine which VLANs of the plurality of VLANs that each physical network interface in the virtualization host provides access to and determine a first set of physical network interfaces that each provide access to the same VLANs;

automatically create, in combination with the virtualization host, a first virtual switch in the hypervisor, the first virtual switch corresponding to the first set of physical network interfaces;

communicatively couple, in combination with the virtualization host, the first virtual switch to each of the physical network interfaces in the first set of physical network interfaces;

receive a request to boot an operating system image in a virtual machine in the hypervisor, the operating system image requiring connectivity to a first VLAN in the plurality of VLANs and a second VLAN of the plurality of VLANs that is different from the first VLAN;

create, in combination with the virtualization host, a first virtual port in the first virtual switch based upon the connectivity required by the operating system image to the first VLAN;

create, in combination with the virtualization host, a second virtual port in the first virtual switch based upon the connectivity required by the operating system image to the second VLAN;

create, in combination with the virtualization host, a first virtual network adapter in the virtual machine in the hypervisor, the first virtual network adapter corresponding to the first virtual port;

create, in combination with the virtualization host, a second virtual network adapter in the virtual machine in the hypervisor, the second virtual network adapter corresponding to the second virtual port;

communicatively couple, in combination with the virtualization host, the first virtual network adapter to the first virtual port in the first virtual switch;

communicatively couple, in combination with the virtualization host, the second virtual network adapter to the second virtual port in the first virtual switch;

configure, in combination with the virtualization host, networking attributes of the first virtual network adapter in the virtual machine based upon the connectivity required by the operating system image to the first VLAN; and

configure, in combination with the virtualization host, networking attributes of the second virtual network adapter in the virtual machine based upon the connectivity required by the operating system image to the second VLAN.

13. The data network management system of claim 12 , wherein the processor in the controller is further configured to:

determine a second set of physical network interfaces in the virtualization host that each provide access to the same VLANs, the second set of physical network interfaces providing access to at least one VLAN that is different from any of the VLANs for which access is provided by the first set of physical network interfaces.

14. The data network management system of claim 13 , wherein the processor in the controller is further configured to:

automatically create, in combination with the virtualization host, a second virtual switch in the hypervisor, the second virtual switch corresponding to the second set of physical network interfaces and communicatively couple the second virtual switch to each of the physical network interfaces in the second set of physical network interfaces.

15. The data network management system of claim 14 , wherein the operating system image requires connectivity to a second VLAN in the plurality of VLANs that is different from the first VLAN, and wherein the processor in the controller is further configured to:

create, in combination with the virtualization host, a second virtual port in the second virtual switch based upon the connectivity required by the operating system image to the second VLAN;

create, in combination with the virtualization host, a second virtual network adapter in the virtual machine in the hypervisor, the second virtual network adapter corresponding to the second virtual port;

communicatively couple, in combination with the virtualization host, the second virtual network adapter to the second virtual port in the first virtual switch; and

configure, in combination with the virtualization host, networking attributes of the second virtual network adapter in the virtual machine based upon the connectivity required by the operating system image to the second VLAN.

16. The data network management system of claim 12 , wherein the first set of physical network interfaces includes a plurality of physical network interfaces, and wherein the processor in the controller is further configured to:

team the plurality of physical network interfaces in the first set of plurality of physical network interfaces.

17. The data network management system of claim 12 , wherein the processor in the controller is further configured to:

configure layer 3 networking attributes of the first virtual network adapter.