Abstract: An apparatus and method for a dynamically extensible virtual switch. An apparatus or virtual switch includes at least one router and a data structure. The router utilizes the data structure to organize a connection between one or more virtual network interface cards (VNICs) to form a virtual network. The virtual switch also identifies a VNIC node of a data frame by its unique identifier, utilizes the unique identifier to index a collection of elements to retrieve a pointer to a virtual network head, and forwards the data frame to all VNIC nodes in a VNIC node listing associated with the virtual network head except for a VNIC node that relates to the unique identifier.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a generic, extensible and efficient data manager for virtual peripheral component interconnect devices (VPCIDs). The apparatus includes a data manager and a data repository, where the data manager utilizes the data repository to maintain information for at least one virtual machine (VM). The VM data structure contains elements to associate the VM with zero or more instances of multiple VPCIDs.

Abstract: A system includes an interface device that executes a driver and a processing device that executes instructions to implement a virtual machine, and to implement a virtual network interface card that is configurable to enable communication between the driver and the virtual machine. The processor executes instructions to configure the virtual network interface card.

Abstract: A first machine communicates with a second machine, using a protocol that sends the first machine's network configuration data in application data sent to the second machine, through a translating access point which translates network traffic from the first machine so as to originate from the access point. A network configuration server provides to the first machine network configuration data not subject to translation by the access point, which is sent to the second machine in the application data. The second machine communicates with the provided network configuration, and this communication is in turn made available to the first machine.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for sending a data packet through a network. The network has public and private realms separated by an interface device. A client in the private realm performs the method. The method includes determining if a destination address of the data packet corresponds to the private realm or to the public realm and retrieving a source address for the client based on the destination address of the packet. The method also includes assigning a retrieved address to be the source address of the data packet.