Managing and provisioning virtual routers

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for provisioning and managing network-based virtual private networks (VPNs). According to one embodiment, routing information, including virtual private network (VPN) addresses reachable, for customer sites connected via service processing switches is learned or discovered. The routing information is disseminated among routers associated with multiple network-based customer VPNs for multiple customers. A routing configuration is generated for a network-based customer VPN based on the routing information and a global customer routing profile. Virtual routers (VRs) of the service processing switches are provisioned to support the customer VPN based on the routing configuration. A custom routing profile for the customer VPN is received that identifies one or more routing protocols to be used for one or more segments of the customer VPN. The customer VPN is automatically reconfigured by programmatically generating appropriate routing configurations for the VRs based on the routing information and the custom routing profile.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 learning or discovering routing information for each of a plurality of customer sites connected via a plurality of service processing switches, the routing information including virtual private network (VPN) addresses reachable at each customer site of the plurality of customer sites;   disseminating a subset of the routing information among routers associated with a plurality of network-based customer VPNs for a plurality of customers;   generating a routing configuration for a network-based customer VPN of the plurality of network-based customer VPNs based on the routing information and a global customer routing profile of the network-based customer;   provisioning a plurality of virtual routers (VRs) distributed among the plurality of service processing switches and partitioned to the network-based customer VPN to support the network-based customer VPN based on the routing configuration;   receiving a custom routing profile for the network-based customer VPN, the custom routing profile identifying one or more routing protocols to be used for one or more segments of the network-based customer VPN; and   automatically reconfiguring the network-based customer VPN by programmatically generating appropriate routing configurations for the plurality of VRs based on the routing information and the custom routing profile.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the custom routing profile is based upon the global customer routing profile. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said disseminating a subset of the routing information comprises reading subnets for sites of the plurality of custom sites and creating static routes for the subnets. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said disseminating a subset of the routing information comprises placing site reachability information in one or more directories and providing access to the one or more directories via Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said disseminating a subset of the routing information use of a static configuration in which the subnets are manually configured into a plurality of network-based customer VPNs. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said disseminating a subset of the routing information comprises exchanging the subset of the routing information via one or more routing protocols. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said disseminating a subset of the routing information comprises conveying the subset of the routing information via Multiprotocol Label Switching Label Distribution Protocol (MPLS LDP). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the custom routing profile comprises an Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) profile and wherein the OSPF profile includes a route aggregation policy. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the custom routing profile includes parameters relating to one or more of Internet Protocol Security (IPSec), LT2P, Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), Generic Route Encapsulation (GRE) protocol and Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS). 
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory program storage device readable by one or more computer systems of a service provider, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by one or more computer processors of the one or more computer systems to perform a method comprising:
 disseminating a subset of the routing information among routers associated with a plurality of network-based customer VPNs for a plurality of customers;   generating a routing configuration for a network-based customer VPN of the plurality of network-based customer VPNs based on the routing information and a global customer routing profile of the network-based customer;   provisioning a plurality of virtual routers (VRs) distributed among the plurality of service processing switches and partitioned to the network-based customer VPN to support the network-based customer VPN based on the routing configuration;   receiving a custom routing profile for the network-based customer VPN, the custom routing profile identifying one or more routing protocols to be used for one or more segments of the network-based customer VPN; and   automatically reconfiguring the network-based customer VPN by programmatically generating appropriate routing configurations for the plurality of VRs based on the routing information and the custom routing profile.   
     
     
         11 . The program storage device of  claim 10 , wherein the custom routing profile is based upon the global customer routing profile. 
     
     
         12 . The program storage device of  claim 10 , wherein said disseminating a subset of the routing information comprises reading subnets for sites of the plurality of custom sites and creating static routes for the subnets. 
     
     
         13 . The program storage device of  claim 10 , wherein said disseminating a subset of the routing information comprises placing site reachability information in one or more directories and providing access to the one or more directories via Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). 
     
     
         14 . The program storage device of  claim 10 , wherein said disseminating a subset of the routing information use of a static configuration in which the subnets are manually configured into a plurality of network-based customer VPNs. 
     
     
         15 . The program storage device of  claim 10 , wherein said disseminating a subset of the routing information comprises exchanging the subset of the routing information via one or more routing protocols. 
     
     
         16 . The program storage device of  claim 10 , wherein said disseminating a subset of the routing information comprises conveying the subset of the routing information via Multiprotocol Label Switching Label Distribution Protocol (MPLS LDP). 
     
     
         17 . The program storage device of  claim 10 , wherein the custom routing profile comprises an Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) profile and wherein the OSPF profile includes a route aggregation policy. 
     
     
         18 . The program storage device of  claim 10 , wherein the custom routing profile includes parameters relating to one or more of Internet Protocol Security (IPSec), LT2P, Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), Generic Route Encapsulation (GRE) protocol and Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS).