Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving a request for a distributed service, the distributed service offered by a service provider via a data communications network having service delivery locations reachable via a prescribed physical topology; identifying the service delivery locations within a prescribed logical topology overlying the prescribed physical topology, the prescribed logical topology segregating the distributed service from other network traffic on the prescribed physical topology; and identifying one or more of the service delivery locations optimized for providing the distributed service to at least one service consumption location in the prescribed logical topology according to a prescribed service level agreement with the service provider.

Abstract: Techniques are provided herein for distributed and hierarchical rendering and provisioning of cloud services. At a device in a cloud computing system comprising a plurality of hierarchical levels, a cloud service request is received for rendering and provisioning of a virtual data center. A determination is made as to which aspects of the cloud service request are to be satisfied by devices in a first hierarchical level and which aspects of the cloud service request are to be satisfied by devices in a second hierarchical level and in subsequent hierarchical levels. Rendering and provisioning commands are provided to one or more devices in the first hierarchical level that are selected to satisfy aspects of the cloud service request in the first hierarchical level. A subset cloud service request for aspects of the cloud service request that are to be satisfied by devices in the second hierarchical level is sent to a device in the second hierarchical level.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving a request for a distributed service, the distributed service offered by a service provider via a data communications network having service delivery locations reachable via a prescribed physical topology; identifying the service delivery locations within a prescribed logical topology overlying the prescribed physical topology, the prescribed logical topology segregating the distributed service from other network traffic on the prescribed physical topology; and identifying one or moreof the service delivery locations optimized for providing the distributed service to at least one service consumption location in the prescribed logical topology according to a prescribed service level agreement with the service provider.

Abstract: Techniques are provided herein for distributed and hierarchical rendering and provisioning of cloud services. At a device in a cloud computing system comprising a plurality of hierarchical levels, a cloud service request is received for rendering and provisioning of a virtual data center. A determination is made as to which aspects of the cloud service request are to be satisfied by devices in a first hierarchical level and which aspects of the cloud service request are to be satisfied by devices in a second hierarchical level and in subsequent hierarchical levels. Rendering and provisioning commands are provided to one or more devices in the first hierarchical level that are selected to satisfy aspects of the cloud service request in the first hierarchical level. A subset cloud service request for aspects of the cloud service request that are to be satisfied by devices in the second hierarchical level is sent to a device in the second hierarchical level.

Abstract: A method of establishing and maintaining a consistent configuration state of a first processor, running on a first version of operating software, and a second processor, running on a second version of operating software, is described. The method involves determining a current configuration state of the first processor, where the configuration state comprises a list of configuration commands. The method also involves performing a syntax check for each command in the current configuration, using the second processor and the second version of operating software, with the syntax check resulting in a pass or a fail result. For every command which results in a fail result, an entry is added to a mismatched configuration list (MCL). Embodiments of this invention can be utilized to keep the configurations consistent during an upgrade or downgrade of the operating software.