Overlay network with position independent insertion and tap points

1. A method for managing secure communication between a plurality of node computers over a network, wherein execution of logic by a network computing platform performs actions, comprising:

when one or more overlay networks for two or more of the plurality of node computers is provided for securely communicating, configuring a mesh network between the two or more node computers, wherein the mesh network includes one or more of a plurality of gateway computers that provide secure access to the two or more node computers; and

when a node computer is associated with the one or more overlay networks and sends a communication to one or more other node computers also associated with the one or more overlay networks, a gateway computer associated with the node computer performs further actions, comprising:

selecting an overlay network based on the node computer and one or more characteristics of the communication with the one or more other node computers;

determining one or more target gateway computers that are associated with the one or more other node computers based on the overlay network and a topology of the mesh network for secure communication;

determining one or more physical paths for communication from the gateway computer to the one or more target gateway computers based on the topology of the mesh network, wherein the determining includes modifying the one or more physical paths to include a route to one or more traffic management computers based on the topology of the mesh network, and wherein the determining further includes modifying the one or more physical paths to include a route from the one or more traffic management computers to the one or more target gateway computers based on the topology of the mesh network; and

securely sending the communication to the one or more target gateway computers over the one or more physical paths, wherein the one or more target gateway computers securely provide the communication to the one or more other node computers.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the one or more physical paths to the one or more target gateway computers, further comprises:

determining one or more portions of the communication based on configuration information and the one or more characteristics of the communication;

determining one or more other physical paths that include a route to one or more network monitoring computers based on the topology of the mesh network; and

providing the one or more determined portions of the communication to the one or more network monitoring computers over the one or more other physical paths.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the communication, further comprise, one or more of a source identity, a source address, a user identity, a user role, a destination identity, a destination address, an application type, a source machine type, a whitelist, or a target machine type.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the one or more physical paths further comprises, determining a particular route through the mesh network based on one or more performance characteristics of the one or more physical paths.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secure communication includes one or more of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), encryption, or authentication.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network computing platform performs further actions, comprising when the one or more overlay networks for the two or more of the plurality of node computers are updated, reconfiguring the mesh network between the two or more node computers based on one or more updates to the one or more overlay networks.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, when the communication is sent by the node computer to one or more other node computers that are unassociated with the one or more overlay networks, determining the communication is undeliverable to the one or more other node computers.

8. A system for managing secure communication between a plurality of node computers over a network, comprising:

a management platform computer, comprising:

a transceiver that communicates over the network;

a memory that stores at least instructions; and

a processor device that executes instructions that perform actions, including:

when one or more overlay networks for two or more of the plurality of node computers is provided for securely communicating, configuring a mesh network between the two or more node computers, wherein the mesh network includes one or more of a plurality of gateway computers that provide secure access to the two or more node computers; and

a gateway computer, comprising:

a transceiver that communicates over the network;

a memory that stores at least instructions; and

a processor device that executes instructions that perform actions, including:

when a node computer is associated with the one or more overlay networks and sends a communication to one or more other node computers also associated with the one or more overlay networks, the gateway computer associated with the node computer performs further actions, comprising:

selecting an overlay network based on the node computer and one or more characteristics of the communication with the one or more other node computers;

determining one or more target gateway computers that are associated with the one or more other node computers based on the overlay network and a topology of the mesh network for secure communication;

determining one or more physical paths for communication from the gateway computer to the one or more target gateway computers based on the topology of the mesh network, wherein the determining includes modifying the one or more physical paths to include a route to one or more traffic management computers based on the topology of the mesh network, and wherein the determining further includes modifying the one or more physical paths to include a route from the one or more traffic management computers to the one or more target gateway computers based on the topology of the mesh network; and

securely sending the communication to the one or more target gateway computers over the one or more physical paths, wherein the one or more target gateway computers securely provide the communication to the one or more other node computers; and

the node computer, comprising:

a transceiver that communicates over the network;

a memory that stores at least instructions; and

a processor device that executes instructions that perform actions, including:

sending the communication to the one or more other node computers also associated with the one or more overlay networks.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein determining the one or more physical paths to the one or more target gateway computers, further comprises:

determining one or more portions of the communication based on configuration information and the one or more characteristics of the communication;

determining one or more other physical paths that include a route to one or more network monitoring computers based on the topology of the mesh network; and

providing the one or more determined portions of the communication to the one or more network monitoring computers over the one or more other physical paths.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the communication, further comprise, one or more of a source identity, a source address, a user identity, a user role, a destination identity, a destination address, an application type, a source machine type, a whitelist, or a target machine type.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein determining the one or more physical paths further comprises, determining a particular route through the mesh network based on one or more performance characteristics of the one or more physical paths.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the secure communication includes one or more of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), encryption, or authentication.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the management platform computer processor executes instructions that perform further actions comprising, when the one or more overlay networks for the two or more of the plurality of node computers are updated, reconfiguring the mesh network between the two or more node computers based on one or more updates to the one or more overlay networks.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the gateway computer processor device executes instructions that perform further actions comprising, when the communication is sent by the node computer to one or more other node computers that are unassociated with the one or more overlay networks, determining the communication is undeliverable to the one or more other node computers.

15. A processor readable non-transitory storage media that includes instructions for managing secure communication between a plurality of node computers over a network, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor device performs actions, comprising:

when one or more overlay networks for two or more of the plurality of node computers is provided for securely communicating, configuring a mesh network between the two or more node computers, wherein the mesh network includes one or more of a plurality of gateway computers that provide secure access to the two or more node computers; and

when a node computer is associated with the one or more overlay networks and sends a communication to one or more other node computers also associated with the one or more overlay networks, a gateway computer associated with the node computer performs further actions, comprising:

selecting an overlay network based on the node computer and one or more characteristics of the communication with the one or more other node computers;

determining one or more target gateway computers that are associated with the one or more other node computers based on the overlay network and a topology of the mesh network for secure communication;

determining one or more physical paths for communication from the gateway computer to the one or more target gateway computers based on the topology of the mesh network, wherein the determining includes modifying the one or more physical paths to include a route to one or more traffic management computers based on the topology of the mesh network, and wherein the determining further includes modifying the one or more physical paths to include a route from the one or more traffic management computers to the one or more target gateway computers based on the topology of the mesh network; and

securely sending the communication to the one or more target gateway computers over the one or more physical paths, wherein the one or more target gateway computers securely provide the communication to the one or more other node computers.

16. The media of claim 15 , wherein determining the one or more physical paths to the one or more target gateway computers, further comprises:

determining one or more portions of the communication based on configuration information and the one or more characteristics of the communication;

determining one or more other physical paths that include a route to one or more network monitoring computers based on the topology of the mesh network; and

providing the one or more determined portions of the communication to the one or more network monitoring computers over the one or more other physical paths.

17. The media of claim 15 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the communication, further comprise, one or more of a source identity, a source address, a user identity, a user role, a destination identity, a destination address, an application type, a source machine type, a whitelist, or a target machine type.

18. The media of claim 15 , wherein determining the one or more physical paths further comprises, determining a particular route through the mesh network based on one or more performance characteristics of the one or more physical paths.

19. The media of claim 15 , wherein the secure communication includes one or more of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), encryption, or authentication.

20. The media of claim 15 , wherein the network computing platform performs further actions, comprising when the one or more overlay networks for the two or more of the plurality of node computers are updated, reconfiguring the mesh network between the two or more node computers based on one or more updates to the one or more overlay networks.

21. A network computer for managing secure communication between a plurality of node computers over a network, comprising:

a transceiver that communicates over the network;

a memory that stores at least instructions; and

a processor device that executes instructions that perform actions, including:

when one or more overlay networks for two or more of the plurality of node computers is provided for securely communicating, configuring a mesh network between the two or more node computers, wherein the mesh network includes one or more of a plurality of gateway computers that provide secure access to the two or more node computers; and

when a node computer is associated with the one or more overlay networks and sends a communication to one or more other node computers also associated with the one or more overlay networks, a gateway computer associated with the node computer performs further actions, comprising:

selecting an overlay network based on the node computer and one or more characteristics of the communication with the one or more other node computers;

determining one or more target gateway computers that are associated with the one or more other node computers based on the overlay network and a topology of the mesh network for secure communication;

determining one or more physical paths for communication from the gateway computer to the one or more target gateway computers based on the topology of the mesh network, wherein the determining includes modifying the one or more physical paths to include a route to one or more traffic management computers based on the topology of the mesh network, and wherein the determining further includes modifying the one or more physical paths to include a route from the one or more traffic management computers to the one or more target gateway computers based on the topology of the mesh network; and

securely sending the communication to the one or more target gateway computers over the one or more physical paths, wherein the one or more target gateway computers securely provide the communication to the one or more other node computers.

22. The network computer of claim 21 , wherein determining the one or more physical paths to the one or more target gateway computers, further comprises:

determining one or more portions of the communication based on configuration information and the one or more characteristics of the communication;

determining one or more other physical paths that include a route to one or more network monitoring computers based on the topology of the mesh network; and

providing the one or more determined portions of the communication to the one or more network monitoring computers over the one or more other physical paths.

23. The network computer of claim 21 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the communication, further comprise, one or more of a source identity, a source address, a user identity, a user role, a destination identity, a destination address, an application type, a source machine type, a whitelist, or a target machine type.

24. The network computer of claim 21 , wherein determining the one or more physical paths further comprises, determining a particular route through the mesh network based on one or more performance characteristics of the one or more physical paths.

25. The network computer of claim 21 , wherein the secure communication includes one or more of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), encryption, or authentication.

26. The network computer of claim 21 , wherein the network computer processor device executes instructions that performs further actions, comprising when the one or more overlay networks for the two or more of the plurality of node computers are updated, reconfiguring the mesh network between the two or more node computers based on one or more updates to the one or more overlay networks.