System and method for using data encapsulation in a virtual network

Abstract

A method of extending the functionality of a virtual network is disclosed. Messages intended for a virtual destination address located on a network equipped with a device performing packet filtering, network address translation or a similar function on the edge of the network (an 'edge device'), are encapsulated in higher level protocols prior to being sent to the edge device. The virtual destination address may be associated with a process on the edge device or a process on another device in the interior of the network. Higher level protocol designations, including transport protocol designations accompanied by a port number and application protocol designations, are retrieved from an extended virtual address registration. Messages arriving at the edge device are determined by the Network layer to contain a higher level protocol and are passed up the Internet Protocol model stack to a higher layer. The higher layers of the edge device, such as the Transport layer and the Application layer, may be accessible and therefore configurable to a non-Systems Administrator thus allowing the message to reach the intended virtual destination address.