METHODS AND DEVICES FOR MONITORING OVERLAPPED IP ADDRESSES IN A MULTI-TENANCY ENVIRONMENT

A single instance of a network monitoring application running in a service provider network in a multi-tenancy environment identifies a destination tenant that is associated with a destination user device to which a monitoring request is to be sent. The destination user device includes a first user device that is associated with a first tenant or a second user device that is associated with a second tenant in the multi-tenancy environment. A source IP address is associated with the monitoring request, such that the source IP address identifies the destination tenant. The service provider network selectively routes the monitoring request to the destination user device through a network that is associated with the destination tenant based on the source IP address of the monitoring request. Related methods, electronic devices and computer program products are described.

FIELD

Various embodiments described herein relate to methods, devices, and computer program products and more particularly to methods, devices, and computer program products for a multi-tenancy environment.

BACKGROUND

Network monitoring applications are important in computer networks to provide functionality such as fault monitoring, identification of slow or failing components, and/or intrusion detection. Metrics such as response time, availability, uptime, etc. of various devices in a network may be measured by network monitoring applications. A network may include a plurality of user devices that are each associated with a tenant. Each tenant may be associated with a plurality of user devices. Each tenant may include a tenant edge device that communicates with a service provider through a service provider edge device.

The service provider may wish to perform network monitoring of the various user devices in the network. However, two user devices associated with two different tenants may have the same IP address, i.e. overlapping IP addresses. Therefore, presently, a single instance of a network monitoring application may have difficulty distinguishing between various user devices that are associated with different tenants but having the same IP address.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Embodiments described herein include methods, electronic devices, and computer program products that may be configured and/or operable to perform operations in a multi-tenancy environment. In some embodiments, the method includes identifying a destination tenant that is associated with a destination user device to which a monitoring request is to be sent by a single instance of a network monitoring application running in a service provider network in a multi-tenancy environment. The destination user device includes a first user device that is associated with a first tenant or a second user device that is associated with a second tenant in the multi-tenancy environment. The method includes associating a source IP address with the monitoring request. The source IP address identifies the destination tenant. The method includes selectively routing, by the service provider network, the monitoring request to the destination user device through a network that is associated with the destination tenant based on the source IP address of the monitoring request.

In some embodiments, the method includes receiving, from the destination user device, a monitoring response including a destination IP address that is the source IP address of the monitoring request that was sent to the destination user device. The monitoring response may be received responsive to selectively routing the monitoring request to the destination user device.

In some embodiments, the method includes selectively determining that the monitoring response is from the first user device that is associated with the first tenant, based on the destination IP address of the monitoring response. The destination IP address of the monitoring response may include a first destination IP address if the monitoring response is from the first user device. The destination IP address of the monitoring response may include a second destination IP address that is different from the first destination IP address if the monitoring response is from the second user device. An IP address that is associated with the first user device may be the same IP address as an IP address that is associated with the second user device.

In some embodiments, the source IP address may include a first source IP address. The network associated with the first tenant may include a first network. Selectively routing the monitoring request to the destination user device includes applying policy based routing to the monitoring request based on a plurality of policy rules that are associated with the service provider network. The plurality of policies may include a first policy that includes a first rule with a first source IP address that maps to the first network, and/or a second policy that includes a second rule with a second source IP address that maps to a second network that are associated with the second tenant.

In some embodiments, identifying the destination tenant that is associated with the destination user device includes determining a tenant identifier of the destination tenant that is associated with the destination user device and selecting the source IP address for the monitoring request based on the tenant identifier. Selecting the source IP address may include selecting a first source IP address if the tenant identifier is associated with the first tenant, and/or selecting a second source IP address if the tenant identifier is associated with the second tenant, where the first source IP address is different from the second source IP address.

In some embodiments, associating the source IP address with the monitoring request includes selectively associating, by the network monitoring application, the first source IP address with the monitoring request based on determining that the monitoring request is to be sent to the first user device that is associated with the first tenant. Selectively routing the monitoring request to the destination user device may include routing the monitoring request by a service provider edge device that is associated with the service provider network. Identifying the destination tenant that is associated with the destination user device may be based on information stored in the service provider network.

Some embodiments are directed to an electronic device that includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor and storing computer readable program code that when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform operations including identifying a destination tenant that is associated with a destination user device to which a monitoring request is to be sent by a single instance of a network monitoring application running in a service provider network in a multi-tenancy environment, wherein the destination user device includes a first user device that is associated with a first tenant or a second user device that is associated with a second tenant in the multi-tenancy environment, associating a source IP address with the monitoring request, where the source IP address identifies the destination tenant, selectively routing, by the service provider network, the monitoring request to the destination user device through a network that is associated with the destination tenant based on the source IP address of the monitoring request, and/or receiving, from the destination user device, a monitoring response including a destination IP address that is the source IP address of the monitoring request that was sent to the destination user device.

In some embodiments, the monitoring response is received responsive to the selectively routing the monitoring request to the destination user device. The processor may perform further operations including selectively determining that the monitoring response is from the first user device that is associated with the first tenant, based on the destination IP address of the monitoring response. The destination IP address of the monitoring response may include a first destination IP address if the monitoring response is from the first user device. The destination IP address of the monitoring response may include a second destination IP address that is different from the first destination IP address if the monitoring response is from the second user device. An IP address that is associated with the first user device may be the same IP address as an IP address that is associated with the second user device.

In some embodiments, the source IP address includes a first source IP address. The network associated with the first tenant may include a first network. Selectively routing the monitoring request to the destination user device may cause the processor to perform operations further including applying policy based routing to the monitoring request based on a plurality of policy rules that are associated with the service provider network. The plurality of policies may include a first policy that includes a first rule with a first source IP address that maps to the first network, and a second policy that includes a second rule with a second source IP address that maps to a second network that are associated with the second tenant.

In some embodiments, identifying the destination tenant that is associated with the destination user device may cause the processor to perform operations further including determining a tenant identifier of the destination tenant that is associated with the destination user device, and selecting the source IP address for the monitoring request based on the tenant identifier.

Some embodiments of the present inventive concept include a computer program product including a tangible computer readable storage medium. The computer readable program code embodied in the medium that when executed by a processor of an edge device of a service provider network causes the processor to perform operations including identifying a destination tenant that is associated with a destination user device to which a monitoring request is to be sent by a single instance of a network monitoring application running in a service provider network in a multi-tenancy environment. The destination user device includes a first user device that is associated with a first tenant or a second user device that is associated with a second tenant in the multi-tenancy environment. The operations include associating a source IP address with the monitoring request, where the source IP address identifies the destination tenant and selectively routing, by the service provider network, the monitoring request to the destination user device through a network that is associated with the destination tenant based on the source IP address of the monitoring request.

It is noted that aspects of the disclosure described with respect to one embodiment, may be incorporated in a different embodiment although not specifically described relative thereto. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and/or combination. These and other objects and/or aspects of the present invention are explained in detail in the specification set forth below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments described herein may arise from a recognition that the network monitoring application may need to distinguish between user devices belonging to different tenants that may have the same the IP address. The network monitoring application would need a mechanism for distinguishing user devices with the same IP addresses and/or overlapping IP addresses, without altering software in the tenant edge devices and/or in the user devices.

Various embodiments described herein can overcome this potential problem of distinguishing between user devices that have the same IP address in different tenants by providing different source IP addresses from the service provider edge for data packets directed to the different user devices. Network data packets from the various user devices will be received by the network monitoring application with different destination IP addresses, thereby identifying the tenant from which the packet was received. Using different source IP addresses provides the advantage of no changes to tenant software or user device software to accommodate the strategy described herein. Furthermore, legacy systems may use multiple instances of the network monitoring application, such as one instance per tenant. As described herein, using different source IP addresses to distinguish different user devices with the same IP address would reduce and/or eliminate the need to for multiple instances of the network monitoring software, providing savings in processing power, savings in memory, reducing maintenance, and/or improving latency.

FIG. 1illustrates a communications network architecture that includes a scenario with multiple tenants that have user devices that have the same IP address. Referring now toFIG. 1, the communication network includes a service provider network110that has devices that are in communication with two different tenant networks120,130. As used herein, the terms “tenant” and “tenant network” may be used to refer to a grouping of a plurality of users related to a customer or a network associated with the customer. The service provider network includes a network monitoring application100that provides fault monitoring, identification of slow or failing components, and/or intrusion detection of user devices in the communications network. Metrics such as response time, availability, device uptime, etc. of various devices in a network may be collected by the networking monitoring application100. A service provider edge device D0in the service provider network110may provide an interface to other networks such as tenant network120and/or tenant network130. In some embodiments, the monitoring application100may be integrated with and/or running on the same device and/or the same processor as the service provider edge device D0. Service provider edge device D0may include routers, switches, end-hosts, gateway, and/or other networking elements. Service provider edge device D0may communicate with tenant edge device D1when accessing user devices D3and/or D4in tenant network120. Likewise, service provider edge device D0may communicate with tenant edge device D2when accessing user devices D5and/or D6in tenant network130. In some cases, user device D4in tenant network120may have the same IP address 1.1.1.2 as user device D6in tenant network130.

FIG. 2illustrates using different source IP addresses by the monitoring application in the communications network that includes multiple tenants that have user devices that have the same IP address. Referring now toFIG. 2, a single instance of the network monitoring application100may be running in the service provider network110that serves a multi-tenancy environment. The network monitoring application100identifies a destination tenant that is associated with a destination user device to which a monitoring request is to be sent by the single instance of a network monitoring application100. The destination user device may be a first user device D6that is associated with a first tenant130or a second user device D4that is associated with a second tenant120in the multi-tenancy environment. The monitoring application100associates a source IP address that identifies the destination tenant with the monitoring request. For example, if the destination user device for the monitoring request is user device D6, then the monitoring device may use source IP address 3.3.3.2 whereas if the destination user device for the monitoring request is user device D4, then the monitoring device may use source IP address 3.3.3.4. Even if user devices D4and D6have the same destination IP address of 1.1.1.2, as illustrated inFIG. 2, the monitoring application distinguishes the monitoring request to be sent to the user devices D4or D6by using a different source IP address. Therefore, two different user devices associated with different tenants but having the same IP address are distinguished from one another by the monitoring device. In some embodiments, the use of different source IP addresses may be referred to as “IP aliasing”. For the destination user device, the monitoring application may look up the associated tenant in a service provider database that was populated when a user device such as D6was added to the network. The network monitoring application may use a property such as a tenant identifier to distinguish between different tenants, which may be included in the service provider database. This procedure may be referred to as “tenant discrimination”.

Once the proper source IP address is set by the monitoring application100for the monitoring request, the service provider network110, by way of a service provider edge device D0, may selectively route the monitoring request to the destination user device through a network that is associated with the destination tenant based on the source IP address of the monitoring request. In the ongoing example, the source IP address for the monitoring request is 3.3.3.2 and the destination IP address is 1.1.1.2. The service provider edge device D0may recognize that the source IP address 3.3.3.2 is associated with the second tenant130. Thus, the monitoring request that has a source IP address of 3.3.3.2 would be routed by service provider edge device D0to the second tenant's edge device D2, which, in turn, would forward the monitoring request to user device D6, which has an IP address of 1.1.1.2.

Responsive to receiving the monitoring request, user device D6may send a monitoring response to the monitoring application100. The destination IP address of the monitoring response from the user device D6may be the source IP address of the monitoring request that was previously sent to the user device D6, i.e. the destination IP address of the monitoring response is 3.3.3.2. The source IP address of the monitoring response would be the IP address of user device D6, i.e. 1.1.1.2. The second tenant edge device D2that is associated with the user device D6may have learned the routing to the service provider edge based on the previously received monitoring request. As such, based on the destination IP address of the monitoring response, the second tenant edge device D2may route the monitoring response to the service provider edge device D0, which forwards it to the monitoring application100. According to the example embodiment ofFIG. 2, the monitoring application100may receive packets destined for IP address 3.3.3.4 or 3.3.3.2. The monitoring application100determines the originating user device of the monitoring response based on the destination IP address of the monitoring response. In the ongoing example, monitoring application100may determine that the monitoring response is from user device D6, based on the destination IP address of 3.3.3.2 and the source IP address of 1.1.1.2. If the source IP address is 1.1.1.2 but the destination IP address of the monitoring response is 3.3.3.4, then the monitoring application100would recognize that the monitoring response is from user device D4.

FIG. 3is a flowchart of operations by the monitoring application100ofFIG. 2. At block300, a network monitoring application may be running in the service provider network110ofFIG. 2. If the network monitoring application needs to send a monitoring request to a user device, the network monitoring application may determine the destination tenant of the destination user device, at block310. If tenant1is associated with the destination user device, then the monitoring application associates a source IP address A, at block320, to the monitoring request. If tenant2is associated with the destination user device, then the monitoring application associates a source IP address B, at block340, to the monitoring request. A monitoring request with source IP address A is routed by the service provider edge device to tenant1's network, at block330. A monitoring request with source IP address B is routed by the service provider edge device to tenant2's network, at block350. In response to the monitoring request, the monitoring application may receive a monitoring response from the user device, at block360. In some embodiments, the user device may send a single monitoring request that causes the user device to send monitoring information periodically, or at other intervals to the monitoring application. Upon receipt of a monitoring response, the monitoring application determines from which user device that the monitoring response was received, at block370.

FIGS. 4 to 8are flowcharts illustrating operations for devices/methods, according to some embodiments of the present inventive concepts. Referring now toFIG. 4, at block400, a network monitoring application may be running in the service provider network110ofFIG. 2. A single instance of the network monitoring application running in the service provider network in a multi-tenancy environment may identify a destination tenant that is associated with a destination user device to which a monitoring request is to be sent, at block410. The destination user device may be one of a first user device that is associated with a first tenant or a second user device that is associated with a second tenant in the multi-tenancy environment. The monitoring application may associate a source IP address with the monitoring request, such that the source IP address identifies the destination tenant, at block420. The service provider network may selectively route the monitoring request to the destination user device through a network that is associated with the destination tenant based on the source IP address of the monitoring request, at block430.

Still referring toFIG. 4, in some embodiments, the monitoring application may receive, from the destination user device, a monitoring response that includes a destination IP address that is the source IP address of the monitoring request that was sent to the destination user device, at block440. The monitoring response may be received responsive to the selectively routing the monitoring request to the destination user device. In some embodiments, the monitoring application may selectively determine that the monitoring response is from the first user device that is associated with the first tenant, based on the destination IP address of the monitoring response, at block450. The destination IP address of the monitoring response may include a first destination IP address if the monitoring response is from the first user device, or the destination IP address of the monitoring response may include a second destination IP address that is different from the first destination IP address if the monitoring response is from the second user device. An IP address that is associated with the first user device may be the same IP address as an IP address that is associated with the second user device.

Referring now toFIG. 5, the source IP address may include a first source IP address and the network associated with the first tenant may include a first network. In some embodiments, selectively routing the monitoring request to the destination user device of block430may include applying policy based routing to the monitoring request based on a multiple of policy rules that are associated with the service provider network, at block510. The multiple of policies may include a first policy that includes a first rule with a first source IP address that maps to the first network, and a second policy that includes a second rule with a second source IP address that maps to a second network that are associated with the second tenant.

Referring now toFIG. 6, in some embodiments, identifying the destination tenant that is associated with the destination user device of block410may include determining a tenant identifier of the destination tenant that is associated with the destination user device, at block610and/or may include selecting the source IP address for the monitoring request based on the tenant identifier, at block620.

Referring now toFIG. 7, in some embodiments, selecting the source IP address at block620ofFIG. 6may include selecting a first source IP address if the tenant identifier is associated with the first tenant, at block710. Selecting the source IP address at block620ofFIG. 6may include selecting a second source IP address if the tenant identifier is associated with the second tenant, at block720. The first source IP address may be different from the second source IP address in order to distinguish the different tenants that have user devices with the same IP addresses.

Referring now toFIG. 8, in some embodiments, associating the source IP address with the monitoring request of block420ofFIG. 4may include selectively associating, by the network monitoring application, the first source IP address with the monitoring request based on determining that the monitoring request is to be sent to the first user device that is associated with the first tenant, at block810. Selectively routing the monitoring request to the destination user device may include routing the monitoring request by a service provider edge device that is associated with the service provider network. In some embodiments, identifying the destination tenant that is associated with the destination user device may be based on information stored in the service provider network.

FIG. 9is a block diagram of an electronic device900configured according to some embodiments. The electronic device900may include the service provider edge device D0and/or the network monitoring application100ofFIG. 2. Referring toFIG. 9, the electronic device900includes a processor930, a memory910, and a network interface924which may include a radio access network transceiver and/or a wired network interface (e.g., Ethernet interface). The radio access network transceiver can include, but is not limited to, a LTE or other cellular transceiver, WLAN transceiver (IEEE 802.11), WiMax transceiver, or other radio communication transceiver configured with the service provider network110ofFIG. 2.

The processor930may include one or more data processing circuits, such as a general purpose and/or special purpose processor (e.g., microprocessor and/or digital signal processor) that may be collocated or distributed across one or more networks. The processor930is configured to execute computer program code912in the memory910, described as a non-transitory computer readable medium, to perform at least some of the operations described herein as being performed by an electronic device. The computer program code912when executed by the processor930causes the processor930to perform operations in accordance with one or more embodiments disclosed herein for the electronic device900. The electronic device900may further include a user input interface920(e.g., touch screen, keyboard, keypad, etc.) and a display device922.

As described herein, a combination of tenant discriminators based on source IP addresses, IP aliasing, and policy based routing may be used to address the issue of overlapping addresses across multiple tenants in a multi-tenancy network to facilitate using a single network monitoring instance. The inventive concepts described herein provide an advantage over legacy systems that either use multiple monitoring agents or use additional software installed in the tenant network. As described herein, information available in the service provider network is used to distinguish user devices with overlapping IP addresses. The monitoring application described herein may use less overhead and may offer easier ways to detect outages in the network.