Patent ID: 7515589

Claim:
A method of providing network virtualization in an information handling system comprising a physical machine having a hypervisor thereon for coupling to a network through a physical network adapter, said method comprising the steps of: the hypervisor dividing the physical machine into a plurality of logical partitions, each of which has a host system residing thereon; the hypervisor dividing the physical network adapter into a plurality of logical network adapters; the hypervisor receiving a command from one of said host systems requesting a data like layer address for that host system; in response to the command requesting a data link address for that host system, the hypervisor generating a data link layer address for the host system that is unique among data link layer addresses originating from host systems of the same physical machine so as to distinguish the data link layer address for the host system from other data link layer addresses originating from the other host systems on the same physical machine; the hypervisor associating the unique data link layer address with the host system and with a logical network adapter; and the physical network adapter associating the unique data link layer address with the host system.