Patent ID: 7865586

Claim:
A method for a computing system to configure communications between computing nodes, the method comprising: under control of a communication manager module that manages communications for multiple associated computing nodes, receiving an outgoing communication from an executing program on a sending node that is one of the associated computing nodes for the communication manager module, the outgoing communication intended for a remote destination node that is one of multiple other computing nodes associated with another remote communication manager module, the outgoing communication having an indicated destination address that is a first destination network address for the destination node specified by the sending node using a first network addressing protocol for a first virtual network, the communication manager module being communicatively connected to the another communication manager module via at least one other second physical network that uses a distinct second network addressing protocol; automatically determining if the executing program is authorized to send the outgoing communication to the destination node; and if the executing program is determined to be authorized, sending the outgoing communication to the destination node over the at least one second network by, automatically determining a distinct second destination network address specified in accordance with the second network addressing protocol, the second destination network address including a partial destination network address for the destination node based on the second network addressing protocol that corresponds to the another communication manager module and including a representation of the first destination network address specified in accordance with the first network addressing protocol; automatically modifying the outgoing communication so as to enable an overlay of the first network on the at least one second network for the outgoing communication without encapsulating the outgoing communication in one or more distinct communications to be sent over the at least one second network, the modifying of the outgoing communication including changing the indicated destination address to the determined second destination network address; and initiating forwarding of the modified outgoing communication to the destination node via the at least one second network based on the second destination network address.