Granted Patent B2

US 12,627,557 · App. 17/817,199 · Granted May 12, 2026

Inventors: Vipin Jain (San Jose, CA); Suran Saminda de Silva (Saratoga, CA); Shyam Kapadia (Santa Clara, CA); Nilesh Shah (Fremont, CA)

Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.

H04L41/0806H04L41/084H04L49/1569H04J2203/0014H04L45/586

Abstract

Claims (58)

1 . A method for configuring a network device, the method comprising:

at an orchestrator associated with an organization virtual network, associating a network device identifier with a network device configuration profile and storing the network device configuration profile in a storage module associated with the orchestrator, wherein the network device configuration profile comprises underlay network parameters and overlay network parameters, wherein the network device configuration profile further comprises network segment information comprising a segment identifier and one or more configuration parameters defining a virtual network segment for one or more hosts associated with the organization virtual network, the hosts of the virtual network segment isolated from hosts of the organization virtual network not associated with the virtual network segment;

at a first network device, connecting to an underlay network, wherein the first network device is not configured to connect to the organization virtual network;

communicating, over the underlay network, the network device identifier from the first network device to the orchestrator;

retrieving the network device configuration profile corresponding to the network device identifier from the storage module;

communicating the network device configuration profile from the orchestrator to the first network device;

configuring the first network device with the network segment information and the underlay network parameters and to transmit data over the organization virtual network to one or more endpoints using the overlay network parameters of the network device configuration profile; and

in response to the first network device being configured with the network device configuration profile, transmitting data over the organization virtual network via the first network device, the organization virtual network configured as an overlay network over the underlay network and including the virtual network segment.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

as part of communicating the network device identifier to the orchestrator, sending a first message to an intermediate network device;

extracting, by the intermediate network device, the network device identifier from the first message; and

at the orchestrator, using the extracted network device identifier to retrieve the network device configuration profile.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating the network device configuration profile from the orchestrator to the first network device comprises sending a push communication from the orchestrator to the first network device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the first network device using the network device configuration profile further comprises configuring a VLAN.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the first network device using the network device configuration profile further comprises configuring a virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) table.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the first network device using the network device configuration profile further comprises configuring a switch virtual interface (SVI).

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the first network device using the network device configuration profile further comprises associating a VLAN with a network segment.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the first network device using the network device configuration profile further comprises configuring a DHCP relay.

9 . A system for configuration of a network device, the system comprising:

one or more nodes acting as an orchestrator associated with an organization virtual network, the one or more nodes including a processor, a memory, and a network interface;

a storage module associated with the orchestrator;

an underlay network with an existing configuration defined by the orchestrator, the existing configuration defining the organization virtual network as an overlay network over the underlay network, the underlay network communicably attached to the orchestrator; and

a first network device, the first network device including a processor, a memory, a network interface, and the first network device is not configured to connect to the organization virtual network,

wherein the orchestrator is configured to associate a network device identifier with a network device configuration profile and store the network device configuration profile in the storage module, wherein the network device configuration profile comprises underlay network parameters and overlay network parameters, wherein the network device configuration profile further comprises network segment information comprising a segment identifier and one or more configuration parameters defining a virtual network segment for one or more hosts associated with the organization virtual network, the hosts of the virtual network segment isolated from hosts of the organization virtual network not associated with the virtual network segment,

wherein the first network device, upon connecting to a network, is configured to:

communicate, over the underlay network, the network device identifier from the first network device to the orchestrator, and

wherein the orchestrator is further configured to, upon receiving the network device identifier:

retrieve the network device configuration profile corresponding to the network device identifier from the storage module,

communicate the network device configuration profile to the first network device, and wherein the first network device modifies its network configuration with the network segment information and the underlay network parameters and to transmit data over the organization virtual network to one or more endpoints using the overlay network parameters; and

in response to the first network device being modified with the network device configuration profile, transmitting data over the organization virtual network via the first network device, the organization virtual network configured as an overlay network over the underlay network and including the virtual network segment.

10 . The system of claim 9 , the system further comprising an intermediate network device, wherein the intermediate network device receives a message sent by the first network device as part of its communication to the orchestrator, and

wherein the intermediate network device is configured to extract the network device identifier from the message, and

wherein the orchestrator uses the extracted network device identifier to retrieve the network device configuration profile.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the communication of the network device configuration profile from the orchestrator to the first network device comprises a push communication from the orchestrator to the first network device.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein modifying the first network device's network configuration using the network device configuration profile comprises configuring a VLAN.

13 . The system of claim 9 , wherein modifying the first network device's network configuration using the network device configuration profile comprises configuring a virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) table.

14 . The system of claim 9 , wherein modifying the first network device's network configuration using the network device configuration profile comprises configuring a switch virtual interface (SVI).

15 . The system of claim 9 , wherein modifying the first network device's network configuration using the network device configuration profile comprises associating a VLAN with a network segment.

16 . The system of claim 9 , wherein modifying the first network device's network configuration using the network device configuration profile comprises configuring a DHCP relay.

17 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media, including instructions which when executed at one or more network devices by one or more processors, cause the devices to:

at one or more nodes acting as a network orchestrator a storage module associated with an orchestrator, the orchestrator associated with an organization virtual network;

an underlay network with an existing configuration defined by the orchestrator, the existing configuration defining the organization virtual network as an overlay network over the underlay network, the underlay network, communicably attached to the orchestrator; and

a first network device, the first network device including a processor, a memory, and a network interface;

at one or more nodes acting as an orchestrator, associate a network device identifier with a network device configuration profile and store the network device configuration profile in a storage module, wherein the network device configuration profile comprises underlay network parameters and overlay network parameters, wherein the network device configuration profile further comprises network segment information comprising a segment identifier and one or more configuration parameters defining a virtual network segment for one or more hosts associated with the organization virtual network, the hosts of the virtual network segment isolated from hosts of the organization virtual network not associated with the virtual network segment;

at a first network device associated with the network device identifier, upon connecting to a network, communicate, over the underlay network, the network device identifier from the first network device to the orchestrator, wherein the first network device is not configured to connect to the organization virtual network;

and at the orchestrator, upon receiving the network device identifier, retrieve the network device configuration profile corresponding to the network device identifier from the storage module;

and communicate the network device configuration profile to the first network device;

at the first network device, modify the device configuration with the network segment information and the underlay network parameters and to transmit data over the organization virtual network to one or more endpoints using the overlay network parameters; and

in response to the first network device being modified with the network device configuration profile, transmitting data over the organization virtual network via the first network device, the organization virtual network configured as an overlay network over the underlay network and including the virtual network segment.

18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , further comprising instructions, which cause the one or more devices to, as part of communicating the network device identifier from the first network device to the orchestrator, send a first message to an intermediate network device;

at the intermediate network device, extract the network device identifier from the first message; and

at the orchestrator, use the extracted network device identifier to retrieve the network configuration profile.

19 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the instructions causing the orchestrator to communicate the network device configuration to the first network device include instructions to send a push communication to the first network device.

20 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein modifying the device configuration using the network device configuration profile comprises configuring a VLAN.

21 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein modifying the device configuration using the network device configuration profile comprises configuring a virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) table.

22 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein modifying the device configuration using the network device configuration profile comprises configuring a switch virtual interface (SVI).

23 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein modifying the device configuration using the network device configuration profile comprises associating a VLAN with a network segment.

24 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein modifying the device configuration using the network device configuration profile comprises configuring a DHCP relay.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (5)

References Cited (47)