Vmware, Inc.

Nicira, Inc.

Aditya Gajanana Holla

Wenyi Jiang

Rajeev Nair

Boon Seong Ang

Rishi Mehta

Srikar Tati

Ramya Bolla

Manoj Tammali

Vaibhav Kumar

Nithya Vijayaraghavan

Shrikrishna Khare

Kairav Padarthy

Chidambareswaran Raman

Subin Cyriac Mathew

Ayyappan Veeraiyan

Shilpi Agarwal

Senthilkumar Karunakaran

Zongyun Lai

Aditya Krishna Sonthy

Subbarao Narahari

Ajay Bharadwaj Shamarao Venkata Rao

Some embodiments provide a method for selecting a transmit queue of a network interface card (NIC) of a host computer for an outbound data message. The NIC includes multiple transmit queues and multiple receive queues. Each of the transmit queues is individually associated with a different receive queue, and the MC performs a load balancing operation to distribute inbound data messages among multiple receive queues. The method extracts a set of header values from a header of the outbound data message. The method uses the extracted set of header values to identify a receive queue which the MC would select for a corresponding inbound data message upon which the NIC performed the load balancing operation. The method selects a transmit queue associated with the identified receive queue to process the outbound data message.

Selection of paired transmit queue

A method of generating a network topology map in a datacenter comprising a network manager server and a set of host machines is provided. Each host machine hosts a set of data compute nodes (DCNs). The method receives information regarding the configuration of each of a set of logical networks from the network manager server. Each logical network is connected to several DCNs. The method identifies logical connections configured between the DCNs using the configuration of the overlay networks. The method generates a network topology map based on the identified logical configuration. The network topology identifies the DCNs that are connected to each overlay network. The method displays the network topology map on a graphical user interface.

Network health checker

A method for managing several queues of a network interface card (NIC) of a computer. The method initially configures the NIC to direct data messages received for a data compute node (DCN) executing on the computer to a default first NIC queue. When the DCN requests data messages addressed to the particular DCN to be processed with a first feature for load balancing data messages across multiple queues and a second feature for aggregating multiple related data messages into a single data message, the method configures the NIC to direct subsequent data messages received for the DCN to a second queue in a first subset of queues associated with the first feature if a load on the default first queue exceeds a first threshold. Otherwise, if a load on the first subset of queues exceeds a second threshold, the method configures the NIC to direct subsequent data messages received for the particular DCN to a third queue in a second subset of queues associated with both the first and second features.

Dynamic processing of packets using multiple receive queue features

Example methods are provided for a host to perform queue filter configuration for multicast packet handling in a software-defined networking (SDN) environment. One example method may comprise the host generating and sending a request to join an outer multicast group address to one or more multicast-enabled network devices; and configuring a queue filter based on the outer multicast group address. In response to detecting an ingress encapsulated multicast packet that includes an outer header addressed to the outer multicast group address, the host may assign the ingress encapsulated multicast packet to a particular NIC queue from the multiple NIC queues based on the queue filter; and retrieving, from the particular NIC queue, the ingress encapsulated multicast packet to generate and send a decapsulated multicast packet to a virtualized computing instance.

Queue filter configuration for multicast packet handling

Some embodiments provide a method for selecting a transmit queue of a network interface card (NIC) of a host computer for an outbound data message. The NIC includes multiple transmit queues and multiple receive queues. Each of the transmit queues is individually associated with a different receive queue, and the MC performs a load balancing operation to distribute inbound data messages among multiple receive queues. The method extracts a set of header values from a header of the outbound data message. The method uses the extracted set of header values to identify a receive queue which the NIC would select for a corresponding inbound data message upon which the NIC performed the load balancing operation. The method selects a transmit queue associated with the identified receive queue to process the outbound data message.

An approach for a dynamic provisioning of multiple RSS engines is provided. In an embodiment, a method comprises monitoring a CPU usage of hardware queues implemented in a plurality of RSS pools, and determining whether a CPU usage of any hardware queue, implemented in a particular RSS pool of the plurality of RSS pools, has increased above a threshold value. In response to determining that a CPU usage of a particular hardware queue, implemented in the particular RSS pool, has increased above the threshold value, it is determined whether the particular RSS pool includes an unused hardware queue (a queue with light CPU usage). If such an unused hardware queue is presented, then an indirection table that is associated with the particular RSS pool is modified to remap one or more data flows from the particular hardware queue to the unused hardware queue.

Dynamic provisioning of multiple RSS engines

Some embodiments provide a method for managing multiple queues of a network interface card (NIC) of a host computer that executes a data compute node (DCN). The method defines first, second, and third subsets of the queues. The first subset of queues is associated with a first feature for processing data messages received by the NIC, the second subset of queues is associated with a second feature, and the third subset is associated with both features. The method receives a request from the DCN to process data messages addressed to the DCN using both the first and second features. The method configures the NIC to direct data messages received for the DCN to a queue that is selected from the third subset of queues.

Embodiments perform decentralized virtual machine (VM) migration decisions. By comparing a set of VM-specific rules with current statistics (e.g., resource usage), one host determines whether to migrate the VM and lazily selects another host to receive the VM. The rules define, for example, threshold values for resource usage. The host makes the migration decision and performs the migration without input from a centralized server. In this manner, migration decisions are offloaded to migration modules executing on each host for reactive and/or proactive migration. Proactive migration involves migrating a VM before the VM violates its rules.

Decentralized demand-based virtual machine migration management

An approach for dynamically distributing RSS engines to virtual machines based on flow data is disclosed. A method comprises receiving first absolute counts of data packets that belong to at least one data flow. Flow load indicator values are computed based on the first absolute counts, and stored in a lookup table. A sorted table is generated by sorting entries of the lookup table. A first count of filters that can be applied on RSS engines is determined. A second count of data flows in the sorted table and having corresponding flow load indicator values exceeding a threshold value is determined. If the second count exceeds the first count, then the first count of data flows is selected from the sorted table. The first count of filters that correspond to the data flows is determined, and the first count of the filters is assigned to at least one RSS engine.

Dynamic distribution of RSS engines to virtual machines based on flow data

Described herein are systems, methods, and software to enhance the management of packet filters for host computing systems. In one implementation, a computing system may identify media access control (MAC) addresses and communication statistics for virtual nodes communicating over physical network interfaces of the computing system. The computing system may further prioritize the MAC addresses based on the virtual network interface ports and physical network interface ports that the MAC addresses were identified on, and generate a filter configuration for the physical network interfaces based on the prioritization and the communication statistics.

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Aditya Gajanana Holla