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MicrosoftPatent applicationNetworks & wirelessInterest 4/10

Microsoft patents network software that keeps separate company data isolated

Microsoft describes a system for managing data traffic in cloud networks by grouping rules into separate, isolated sections called namespaces. This setup allows different companies to use the same network hardware without their settings interfering with each other. The system then combines these separate rules into one fast-running program to handle data packets efficiently.

Why it mattersThis is interesting for cloud service providers because it helps them securely manage traffic for many different customers on the same physical network equipment.

In the filing’s own words

A programmable multi-stage packet processing pipeline executing in a data plane of a software-defined networking (SDN) network handles data packets according to objects in a directed graph that are programmed using multiple separate namespaces. Each namespace provides isolation for programming in the processing stages to provide protection for the pipeline that may span across multiple different tenant domains. While programming is handled using separate namespaces, the programmed stages are converted into executable code that runs in a single data plane of the SDN network to optimize data packet flow while minimizing latency.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A computing system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to: instantiate a processing pipeline comprising a plurality of processing stages represented by graph objects arranged in a directed graph; group respective subsets of the graph objects into a plurality of namespaces, each namespace encapsulating programming associated with its respective subset of graph objects within a defined scope; enforce programming isolation such that modification of graph objects within a given namespace is restricted to that namespace; and generate a unified execution graph for execution of the processing pipeline by combining the programming associated with the plurality of namespaces into a single executable representation.

Facts

Company
Microsoft (MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC)
Official title
NAMESPACES FOR PROTECTED MULTI-TENANT PACKET PROCESSING PIPELINES
Publication number
US20260291844A1
Application number
19689867
Filed
May 27, 2026
Published
Sep 24, 2026
Inventors
4
Claims
20

Classified under

H04L 43/10 Electricity & electronicsH04L 41/147 Electricity & electronicsH04L 49/3063 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.