Abstract: Techniques for an application watcher system that includes a plurality of watchers that obtain various types of application configurations and/or state data which is used to make networking decisions and drive networking operations. The watchers of the application watcher system may each be configured to communicate with an application orchestration system that manages the application and obtain different types of application configurations and/or state data. In some instances, the application watcher system may run on a network orchestrator of the network, or be in communication with the network orchestrator, and provide application configurations and/or state data to the network orchestrator to make networking decisions.

Abstract: Techniques for using proxies with overprovisioned IP addresses to demultiplex data flows, which may otherwise look the same at L7, into multiple subflows for L3 policy enforcement without having to modify an underlying L3 network. The techniques may include establishing a subflow through a network between a first proxy and a second proxy, the subflow associated with a specific policy. In some examples, the first proxy node may receive an encrypted packet that is to be sent through the network and determine, based at least in part on accessing an encrypted application layer of the packet, a specific application to which the packet is to be sent. The first proxy node may then alter an IP address included in the packet to cause the packet to be sent through the network via the subflow such that the packet is handled according to the specific policy.

Abstract: Techniques for automating traffic optimizations for egress traffic of an application orchestration system that is being sent over a network to a remote service. In examples, the techniques may include receiving, at a controller of the network, an egress traffic definition associated with egress traffic of an application hosted on the application orchestration system, the egress traffic definition indicating that the egress traffic is to be sent to the remote service. Based at least in part on the egress traffic definition, the controller may determine a networking path through the network or outside of the network that is optimized for sending the egress traffic to the remote service. The controller may also cause the egress traffic to be sent to the remote service via the optimized networking path.

Abstract: Techniques for steering overlay network traffic along specific paths through an underlay network. The techniques may include determining a path through an underlay network that is optimized for sending a packet from a first node of an overlay network to a second node of the overlay network. The techniques may also include determining a destination address for sending the packet along the path from the first node to the second node, the destination address including a micro segment identifier (uSID) corresponding with an underlay node that is disposed along the path through the underlay network and trailing bits representing a portion of an address that corresponds with the second node. The techniques may also include causing the packet to be modified to include the destination address such that the packet is sent from the first node to the second node along the path.

Abstract: Techniques for obtaining application network metadata from a service registry so that a network routing policy may be derived for traffic associated with the application are described herein. The techniques may include receiving, at a service registry, network metadata associated with traffic of an application hosted by a scalable application service platform. The techniques may also include obtaining, by a controller of a network and from the service registry, the network metadata associated with the traffic of the application. Based at least in part on the network metadata, the controller may determine a routing policy that is optimized for sending the traffic through the network. Additionally, the controller may send an indication of the routing policy to a node of the network or otherwise provision the network such that the traffic of the application is sent through the network according to the routing policy.

Abstract: Provided is an infrastructure for enforcing target service level parameters in a network. In one example, a network service level agreement (SLA) registry obtains one or more input service level parameters for at least one service offered by an application. Based on the one or more input service level parameters, the network SLA registry provides one or more target service level parameters to a plurality of network controllers. Each network controller of the plurality of network controllers is configured to enforce the one or more target service level parameters in a respective network domain configured to carry network traffic associated with the application.

Abstract: Techniques for steering overlay network traffic along specific paths through an underlay network. The techniques may include determining a path through an underlay network that is optimized for sending a packet from a first node of an overlay network to a second node of the overlay network. The techniques may also include determining a destination address for sending the packet along the path from the first node to the second node, the destination address including a micro segment identifier (uSID) corresponding with an underlay node that is disposed along the path through the underlay network and trailing bits representing a portion of an address that corresponds with the second node. The techniques may also include causing the packet to be modified to include the destination address such that the packet is sent from the first node to the second node along the path.

Abstract: Techniques for enabling a network access provider to make automatic Software as a Service (SaaS) optimization decisions. Among other things, the techniques may include determining a SaaS application that is being accessed by client endpoints via flows through a network access provider. The techniques may also include determining, based at least in part on a policy associated with the network access provider, whether to enable network optimizations for traffic through the network access provider to the SaaS application. Based at least in part on a determination that the network optimizations are to be enabled for the traffic to the SaaS application, the techniques may include installing a service definition associated with the SaaS application in a service policy database of the network access provider.

Abstract: Provided is an infrastructure for enforcing target service level parameters in a network. In one example, a network service level agreement (SLA) registry obtains one or more input service level parameters for at least one service offered by an application. Based on the one or more input service level parameters, the network SLA registry provides one or more target service level parameters to a plurality of network controllers. Each network controller of the plurality of network controllers is configured to enforce the one or more target service level parameters in a respective network domain configured to carry network traffic associated with the application.

Abstract: Techniques for obtaining application network metadata from a service registry so that a network routing policy may be derived for traffic associated with the application are described herein. The techniques may include receiving, at a service registry, network metadata associated with traffic of an application hosted by a scalable application service platform. The techniques may also include obtaining, by a controller of a network and from the service registry, the network metadata associated with the traffic of the application. Based at least in part on the network metadata, the controller may determine a routing policy that is optimized for sending the traffic through the network. Additionally, the controller may send an indication of the routing policy to a node of the network or otherwise provision the network such that the traffic of the application is sent through the network according to the routing policy.

Abstract: Provided is an infrastructure for enforcing target service level parameters in a network. In one example, a network service level agreement (SLA) registry obtains one or more input service level parameters for at least one service offered by an application. Based on the one or more input service level parameters, the network SLA registry provides one or more target service level parameters to a plurality of network controllers. Each network controller of the plurality of network controllers is configured to enforce the one or more target service level parameters in a respective network domain configured to carry network traffic associated with the application.

Abstract: Techniques for providing network traffic security in a virtualized environment are described. A threat aware controller uses a threat feed provided by a threat intelligence service to establish a threat detection engine on virtual switches. The threat aware controller and threat detection engine work together to detect any anomalous or malicious behavior of network traffic on the virtual switch and established virtual network functions to quickly detect, verify, and isolate network threats.

Abstract: Techniques for dynamic routing based on application load are described herein. The techniques may include receiving load information associated with resources of an application orchestration system that are allocated to host an application, the resources associated with different geographical regions. Based at least in part on the load information, a network controller may determine that first resources of the application orchestration system are less constrained than second resources of the application orchestration system, the first resources associated with a first geographical region and the second resources associated with a second geographical region. Based at least in part on the first resources being less constrained than the second resources, application traffic may be routed through the network to the application hosted by the first resources in the first geographical region.

Abstract: Techniques for signaling, to a network controller, a connection state of a proxy for use by the network controller to correlate proxied-connections with application pairs for traffic optimization. In some examples, the techniques may include receiving, at a controller of a network, control plane information associated with a proxy that manages a proxied flow through the network. Based on the control plane information, the controller may determine that application traffic is flowing across the proxied flow between a first application and a second application. In this way, based at least in part on a policy associated with at least one of the first application or the second application, the controller may reconfigure a network element of the network for optimizing the application traffic flowing across the proxied flow.

Abstract: Techniques are described for extending a cellular quality of service bearer through an enterprise fabric network. In one example, a method obtaining, by a first switch of a network, a packet to be delivered to a client connected to the network via a cellular access point; identifying quality of service (QoS) bearer information associated with the packet, wherein the QoS bearer information is associated with a radio access bearer for the client and the QoS bearer information comprises a bearer indicator and a QoS class identifier; providing a fabric tunnel encapsulation for the packet, wherein the bearer indicator and the QoS class identifier are included within the fabric tunnel encapsulation of the packet; and forwarding the packet within the fabric tunnel encapsulation toward a second switch of the network via a fabric tunnel, wherein the cellular access point is connected to the network via the second switch.

Abstract: An application monitoring system for collecting, utilizing, and/or exchanging state information (e.g., application state and network state), configuration information, and/or other information to make network optimizations for applications orchestrated by an application orchestration system. The application monitoring system may include an application orchestrator discovery component that is configured to determine a presence of an application orchestration system for orchestrating applications. The application monitoring system may also include one or more application watch components for monitoring, among other things, application state, application configuration, and/or application replicas. The application monitoring system may further include a network state propagation component configured to provide network state information to the orchestration system.

Abstract: Techniques for extending network elements to inspect, extract, and complement tracing information added to L7 flows by application distributed tracing systems. The techniques may include receiving a Layer-7 (L7) message of an L7 flow associated with a distributed application and determining that the L7 message includes tracing information. In some examples, the tracing information may be mapped to a marking that is to be included in a Layer 3 (L3) or Layer-4 (L4) packet carrying the L7 message, and the L3 or L4 packet including the marking may be sent to an L3 or L4 network element. In some examples, the L3 or L4 network element may be configured to utilize the marking to determine a network decision for the L3 or L4 packet.

Abstract: Techniques for informing a network of an application's service-level agreement (SLA) objective(s) so the network can ensure the SLA is met end-to-end, thereby allowing core network support of deterministic SLA and application-based routing without using network-based application recognition (NBAR) and/or compromising user privacy. The techniques may include receiving a first connection request to establish a network-domain connection between different network domains that meets or exceeds a service level objective. Based on the first connection request, the network-domain connection may be established between the different network domains to meet or exceed the service-level objective. In some examples, a second connection request may be received to establish a tunnel between a source application and a destination application, which are disposed in the different network domains.

Abstract: Techniques for dynamic routing based on application load are described herein. The techniques may include receiving load information associated with resources of an application orchestration system that are allocated to host an application, the resources associated with different geographical regions. Based at least in part on the load information, a network controller may determine that first resources of the application orchestration system are less constrained than second resources of the application orchestration system, the first resources associated with a first geographical region and the second resources associated with a second geographical region. Based at least in part on the first resources being less constrained than the second resources, application traffic may be routed through the network to the application hosted by the first resources in the first geographical region.

Abstract: Techniques for steering overlay network traffic along specific paths through an underlay network. The techniques may include determining a path through an underlay network that is optimized for sending a packet from a first node of an overlay network to a second node of the overlay network. The techniques may also include determining a destination address for sending the packet along the path from the first node to the second node, the destination address including a micro segment identifier (uSID) corresponding with an underlay node that is disposed along the path through the underlay network and trailing bits representing a portion of an address that corresponds with the second node. The techniques may also include causing the packet to be modified to include the destination address such that the packet is sent from the first node to the second node along the path.