IP Library Granted Patent US 9,560,081
Granted Patent B1
US 9,560,081 · App. 15/192,967 · Granted Jan 31, 2017

Data network microsegmentation

Inventor: Marc Woolward (Santa Cruz, CA)
Assignee: vArmour Networks, Inc.
H04L63/20G06F9/45558H04L63/0263H04L63/1416G06F2009/45587G06F2009/45591
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,560,081
App. No.
15/192,967
Granted
Jan 31, 2017
Kind
B1
Abstract

Methods and systems for microsegmentation of data networks are provided herein. Exemplary methods include: receiving a high-level declarative policy; getting metadata associated with a plurality of containers from an orchestration layer; determining a low-level firewall rule set using the high-level declarative policy and the metadata; and configuring by a plurality of enforcement points a respective virtual switch of a plurality of virtual switches to process packets in accordance with the low-level firewall ruleset, the virtual switches being collectively communicatively coupled to the plurality of containers, such that network communications between a first group of containers and a second group of containers of the plurality of containers are not permitted, and communications between containers of the first group of containers are permitted.

Claims (40)

1. A computer-implemented method for microsegmentation of data networks comprising:

receiving a high-level declarative policy;

getting metadata associated with a plurality of containers from an orchestration layer;

determining a low-level firewall rule set using the high-level declarative policy and the metadata; and

configuring by a plurality of enforcement points a respective virtual switch of a plurality of virtual switches to process packets in accordance with the low-level firewall ruleset, the virtual switches being collectively communicatively coupled to the plurality of containers, such that network communications between a first group of containers and a second group of containers of the plurality of containers are not permitted, and communications between containers of the first group of containers are permitted.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

provisioning a new enforcement point, the new enforcement point being communicatively coupled with a virtual switch of the plurality of virtual switches, the virtual switch being coupled to at least one container of the plurality of containers; and

programming the virtual switch of the plurality of virtual switches to forward received network packets to the new enforcement point, the virtual switch being communicatively coupled to the at least one container.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving from the virtual switch a network packet;

detecting malicious behavior in the received network packet;

and logging the detection.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the detection includes at least one of stateful, stateless, and application-aware packet inspection.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the enforcement point can run on at least one of a bare-metal server, a virtual machine, and a container.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the orchestration layer is at least one of Kubernetes, Diego, Docker Swarm, and Mesos.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the high-level declarative policy comprises an intent-driven model, the intent-driven model specifying groups of containers and describing permitted connectivity, security, and network services between the groups.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the low-level firewall ruleset comprises individual workload addresses to and/or from which network communications are at least one of forwarded, blocked, redirected, and logged.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein programming the virtual switch includes at least one of providing overflow rules and deploying a Linux bridge topology.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of containers run on a virtual machine.

11. A system for microsegmentation of data networks comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions which are executable by the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a high-level declarative policy;

getting metadata associated with a plurality of containers from an orchestration layer;

determining a low-level firewall rule set using the high-level declarative policy and the metadata; and

configuring by a plurality of enforcement points a respective virtual switch of a plurality of virtual switches to process packets in accordance with the low-level firewall ruleset, the virtual switches being collectively communicatively coupled to the plurality of containers, such that network communications between a first group of containers and a second group of containers of the plurality of containers are not permitted, and communications between containers of the first group of containers are permitted.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

provisioning a new enforcement point, the new enforcement point being communicatively coupled with a virtual switch of the plurality of virtual switches, the virtual switch being coupled to at least one container of the plurality of containers; and

programming the virtual switch of the plurality of virtual switches to forward received network packets to the new enforcement point, the virtual switch being communicatively coupled to the at least one container.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving from the virtual switch a network packet;

detecting malicious behavior in the received network packet;

and logging the detection.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the detection includes at least one of stateful, stateless, and application-aware packet inspection.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the enforcement point can run on at least one of a bare-metal server, a virtual machine, and a container.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the orchestration layer is at least one of Kubernetes, Diego, Docker Swarm, and Mesos.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the high-level declarative policy comprises an intent-driven model, the intent-driven model specifying groups of containers and describing permitted connectivity, security, and network services between the groups.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the low-level firewall ruleset comprises individual workload addresses to and/or from which network communications are at least one of forwarded, blocked, redirected, and logged.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein programming the virtual switch includes at least one of providing overflow rules and deploying a Linux bridge topology.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein at least some of the plurality of containers run on a virtual machine.

Assignments (4)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 18, 2025
From: GRYPHO5, LLC
To: EVP CREDIT SPV I LP
Reel/Frame 072053/0141 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2025
From: VARMOUR NETWORKS, INC.
To: GRYPHO5, LLC
Reel/Frame 070287/0007 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 22, 2024
From: VARMOUR NETWORKS, INC.
To: FIRST-CITIZENS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 066530/0399 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2016
From: WOOLWARD, MARC
To: VARMOUR NETWORKS, INC.
Reel/Frame 039837/0033 →