Relay node management for overlay networks

1. A method for managing communication over a network using one or more network computers that include one or more processors that execute instructions configured to cause performance of actions, comprising:

in response to a source node providing overlay traffic directed to a target node associated with a target gateway identifier (GID) of a target gateway, performing further actions, including:

employing a first underlay network to provide network traffic that includes overlay traffic to a preferred relay of two or more relays that are ranked, wherein the preferred relay is top ranked and used to determine a target network address in a second underlay network based on the target GID, and wherein the preferred relay employs the target network address to provide the network traffic to the target gateway, and wherein the target gateway provides the overlay traffic to the target node;

determining one or more updated metrics associated with two or more ranked relays, wherein one or more of the two or more relays is a multi-tenant relay;

re-ranking the two or more relays based on the one or more updated metrics;

in response to another relay exceeding a rank of the preferred relay, designating the other relay as a new preferred relay, wherein the new preferred relay employs the second underlay network to provide the network traffic to the target gateway; and

in response to the target node being accessible to the source node through a local area network, employing a source gateway to forward network traffic from the source node to the target gateway, wherein the target gateway provides the forwarded network traffic to the target node.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining each of the two or more relays that is a multi-tenant relay and corresponds to a plurality of users; and

determining an amount of support for each user of the multi-tenant relay to operate separately from each other user over one or more overlay networks.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining one or more relay evaluation models that define metrics for the two or more relays on the overlay network; and

determining one or more relay selection models that employ the one or more evaluation models to define rules for selecting the preferred relay based on the one or more metrics defined by the one or more relay evaluation models.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining one or more tenant management engines for a plurality of users that correspond to each multi-tenant relay; and

determining one or more routes for each user employing a multi-tenant relay to communicate on the overlay network with information provided by the one or more tenant management engines.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining one or more multi-tenant relays with a control management engine; and

initializing operation of the one or more multi-tenant relays for a plurality of users with one or more tenant management engines that are enabled by the control management engine.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining one or more of a gateway identifier (GID), a network address, a source nodes, and a relay based on the overlay network, wherein the GID is based on the overlay network and the network address is based on the first underlay network.

7. A network computer for managing communication over a network, comprising:

one or more memories for storing instructions;

one or more processors that execute instructions that are configured to cause performance of actions, comprising:

in response to a source node providing overlay traffic directed to a target node associated with a target gateway identifier (GID) of a target gateway, performing further actions, including:

employing a first underlay network to provide network traffic that includes overlay traffic to a preferred relay of two or more relays that are ranked, wherein the preferred relay is top ranked and used to determine a target network address in a second underlay network based on the target GID, and wherein the preferred relay employs the target network address to provide the network traffic to the target gateway, and wherein the target gateway provides the overlay traffic to the target node;

determining one or more updated metrics associated with two or more ranked relays, wherein one or more of the two or more relays is a multi-tenant relay;

re-ranking the two or more relays based on the one or more updated metrics;

in response to another relay exceeding a rank of the preferred relay, designating the other relay as a new preferred relay, wherein the new preferred relay employs the second underlay network to provide the network traffic to the target gateway; and

in response to the target node being accessible to the source node through a local area network, employing a source gateway to forward network traffic from the source node to the target gateway, wherein the target gateway provides the forwarded network traffic to the target node.

8. The network computer of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining each of the two or more relays that is a multi-tenant relay and corresponds to a plurality of users; and

determining an amount of support for each user of the multi-tenant relay to operate separately from each other user over one or more overlay networks.

9. The network computer of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining one or more relay evaluation models that define metrics for the two or more relays on the overlay network; and

determining one or more relay selection models that employ the one or more evaluation models to define rules for selecting the preferred relay based on the one or more metrics defined by the one or more relay evaluation models.

10. The network computer of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining one or more tenant management engines for a plurality of users that correspond to each multi-tenant relay; and

determining one or more routes for each user employing a multi-tenant relay to communicate on the overlay network with information provided by the one or more tenant management engines.

11. The network computer of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining one or more multi-tenant relays with a control management engine; and

initializing operation of the one or more multi-tenant relays for a plurality of users with one or more tenant management engines that are enabled by the control management engine.

12. The network computer of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining one or more of a gateway identifier (GID), a network address, a source nodes, and a relay based on the overlay network, wherein the GID is based on the overlay network and the network address is based on the first underlay network.

13. A processor readable non-transitory storage media that includes instructions that are configured to cause actions for managing communication over one or more networks, wherein execution of the instructions, by one or more processors, enables performance of actions, comprising:

in response to a source node providing overlay traffic directed to a target node associated with a target gateway identifier (GID) of a target gateway, performing further actions, including:

employing a first underlay network to provide network traffic that includes overlay traffic to a preferred relay of two or more relays that are ranked, wherein the preferred relay is top ranked and used to determine a target network address in a second underlay network based on the target GID, and wherein the preferred relay employs the target network address to provide the network traffic to the target gateway, and wherein the target gateway provides the overlay traffic to the target node; and

in response to the target node being accessible to the source node through a local area network, employing a source gateway to forward network traffic from the source node to the target gateway, wherein the target gateway provides the forwarded network traffic to the target node.

14. The processor readable non-transitory storage media of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining each of the two or more relays that is a multi-tenant relay and corresponds to a plurality of users; and

determining an amount of support for each user of the multi-tenant relay to operate separately from each other user over one or more overlay networks.

15. The processor readable non-transitory storage media of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining one or more relay evaluation models that define metrics for the two or more relays on the overlay network; and

determining one or more relay selection models that employ the one or more evaluation models to define rules for selecting the preferred relay based on the one or more metrics defined by the one or more relay evaluation models.

16. The processor readable non-transitory storage media of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining one or more tenant management engines for a plurality of users that correspond to each multi-tenant relay; and

determining one or more routes for each user employing a multi-tenant relay to communicate on the overlay network with information provided by the one or more tenant management engines.

17. The processor readable non-transitory storage media of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining one or more multi-tenant relays with a control management engine; and

initializing operation of the one or more multi-tenant relays for a plurality of users with one or more tenant management engines that are enabled by the control management engine.