Systems and methods for generating a network topology and monitoring changes in the network topology of a data center

1. A data center monitoring system comprising:

a service aware management (SAM) controller comprising a specially programmed processor operable to electronically execute instructions stored in an associated electronic memory to,

electronically receive information from one or more non-virtual elements of the data center at the SAM controller;

electronically receive information in the form of status and tunneling information from one or more configured agents associated with one or more configured virtual entities of the data center at the SAM controller, the tunneling information defining one or more newly discovered connections between a pair of instantiated virtual entities;

electronically compare the information electronically received from the one or more agents with a stored topology in order to identify the virtual entities and network pathways that have been created or torn down within the data center at the SAM Controller;

electronically parse the electronically received information from the one or more non-virtual elements at the SAM controller to generate, in combination with the identified virtual entities and network pathways, a mesh network topology of the data center, and to correlate the generated data center mesh network topology with one or more services supported by the data center;

electronically parse the electronically received information from the one or more agents and the one or more non-virtual elements at the SAM controller to identify entities, elements and pathways of the generated data center mesh network topology that may be potentially affected by a failure in the data center; and

electronically correlate the potentially identified entities, elements and pathways with the one or more services supported by the data center that may be potentially affected.

2. The system as in claim 1 wherein the information electronically received from the one or more agents further comprises initial connection information, initial status information, and initial tunneling information, including a combination of the initial connection, status and tunneling information.

3. The system as in claim 1 wherein the information electronically received from the one or more agents further comprises revised connection information, revised status information, and revised tunneling information, including a combination of the revised connection, status and tunneling information.

4. The system as in claim 1 wherein the one or more of the non-virtual elements comprise a router, ports of a router or a data center controller.

5. The system as in claim 1 wherein the information electronically received from the one or more non-virtual elements comprises connection, pathway and status information.

6. The system as in claim 1 wherein the SAM controller is further operable to execute instructions stored in an associated memory to:

electronically receive information from one or more hypervisors or control entities of the data center at the SAM controller; and

electronically parse the electronically received information from the one or more hypervisors or control entities at the SAM controller to generate, in combination with the received information from the one or more configured agents, the mesh network topology of the data center, and to correlate the generated data center network topology with the one or more services supported by the data center at the SAM controller.

7. The system as in claim 1 wherein the SAM controller is further operable to execute instructions stored in an associated memory to:

electronically parse the electronically received information from the one or more agents and the one or more non-virtual elements to identify entities, elements and pathways of the generated data center mesh network topology that are known to be affected by a failure in the data center; and

electronically correlate the identified entities, elements and pathways with one or more services supported by the data center that are known to be affected by the failure.

8. The system as in claim 1 wherein the failure is selected from the group consisting of a pathway failure, tunnel failure, virtual entity failure, non-virtual element failure, and a sub-virtual entity failure.

9. The system as in claim 1 further comprising a graphical user interface operable to electronically control the display of one or more virtual nodes of the data center.

10. The system as in claim 9 wherein a virtual node comprises one or more virtual entities of the data center.

11. The system as in claim 1 further comprising a data center element, the data center element comprising:

a computing platform comprising a specially programmed processor operable to execute instructions stored in an associated memory to electronically configure the platform as one or more virtual entities, each virtual entity comprising a configured agent operable to,

electronically collect information comprising at least connection, status, and tunneling information associated with the virtual entity and sub-entities of the virtual entity; and

electronically send the collected information to the SAM controller.

12. The system as in claim 11 wherein data center element comprises a router or server.

13. A method for monitoring a data center using a service aware management (SAM) controller comprising:

electronically receiving information from one or more non-virtual elements of the data center at the SAM controller;

electronically receiving information including at least status information and tunneling information from one or more configured agents associated with one or more configured virtual entities of the data center at the SAM controller, the tunneling information defining one or more newly discovered connections between a pair of instantiated virtual entities;

electronically comparing the information electronically received from the one or more agents with a stored topology in order to identify the virtual entities and network pathways that have been created or torn down within the data center at the SAM controller;

electronically parsing the received information from the one or more non-virtual elements at the SAM controller to generate, in combination with the identified virtual entities and network pathways, a mesh network topology of the data center, and to correlate the generated data center mesh network topology with the one or more services supported by the data center

electronically parse the electronically received information from the one or more agents and the one or more non-virtual elements at the SAM controller to identify entities, elements and pathways of the generated data center mesh network topology that may be potentially affected by a failure in the data center; and

electronically correlate the potentially identified entities, elements and pathways with the one or more services supported by the data center that may be potentially affected.

14. The method as in claim 13 wherein the information electronically received from the one or more agents further comprises initial connection information, initial status information, and initial tunneling information, including a combination of the initial connection, status and tunneling information.

15. The method as in claim 13 wherein the information electronically received from the one or more agents further comprises revised connection information, revised status information, and revised tunneling information, including a combination of the revised connection, status and tunneling information.

16. The method as in claim 13 wherein the one or more of the non-virtual elements comprises a router, ports of a router or a data center controller.

17. The method as in claim 13 wherein the information electronically received from the one or more non-virtual elements comprises connection pathway and status information.

18. The method as in claim 13 further comprising:

electronically receiving information from one or more hypervisors or control entities of the data center at the SAM controller; and

electronically parsing the received information from the one or more hypervisors or control entities at the SAM controller to generate, in combination with the received information from the configured agents, the mesh network topology of the data center, and to correlate the generated data center mesh network topology with the one or more services supported by the data center.

19. The method as in claim 13 further comprising:

electronically parsing the electronically received information from the one or more agents and the one or more non-virtual elements at the SAM controller to identify entities, elements and pathways of the generated data center mesh network topology that may be potentially affected by a failure in the data center; and

electronically correlating the potentially identified entities, elements and pathways with one or more services supported by the data center that may be potentially affected at the SAM controller.

20. The method as in claim 19 wherein the failure is selected from the group consisting of a pathway failure, tunnel failure, virtual entity failure, non-virtual element failure, and a sub-virtual entity failure.

21. The method as in claim 13 further comprising electronically controlling the display of one or more virtual nodes of the data center at the SAM controller.