Nicira, Inc.

Vmware, Inc.

Ankur Dubey

Sami Boutros

Abhishek Goliya

Sreeram Kumar Ravinoothala

Ronghua Zhang

Ganesan Chandrashekhar

Yashika Narang

Vijayalaxmi Basavaraj

Israel Cidon

Prashanth Venugopal

Mike Parsa

Xuan Zhang

Meenakshi Sundaram Selvaraj

Vinay Kumar Ganeshmal Jain

Mukesh Hira

Mani Kancherla

Sri Mohana Singamsetty

Petro Rudy

Poonam Chugh

Vivek Ganesan

Bo Hu

Jayant Jain

Rajeev Nair

Sharath Bhat

Valentina Reutova

Some embodiments provide a method for configuring an edge computing device to implement a logical router belonging to a logical network. The method configures a datapath executing on the edge computing device to use a first routing table associated with the logical router for processing data messages routed to the logical router. The method configures a routing protocol application executing on the edge computing device to (i) use the first routing table for exchanging routes with a network external to the logical network and (ii) use a second routing table for exchanging routes with other edge computing devices that implement the logical router.

Edge device implanting a logical network that spans across multiple routing tables

Some embodiments provide a method for a network controller operating on a host machine that hosts a particular one of multiple centralized routing components for a logical router. The method receives a routing table from a routing protocol application operating on the host machine. Each of the other centralized routing components operates on a different host machine and implements a different interface of the logical router that connects to at least one physical router external to the logical network. The routing protocol application operates as a router server for all of the centralized routing components. For each of the other centralized routing components, the method identifies a set of routes in the routing table to distribute to the centralized routing component. The method sends the identified routes for each centralized routing component to the centralized routing component.

Installation of routing tables for logical router in route server mode

In some embodiments, a method for selecting an egress point for accessing an external network associated with a distributed logical router that is distributed across at least a first computing device and a second computing device is provided. The method receives, by an instance of the logical router at the first computing device, first identification information and a first preference value. The method compares the first preference value to a second preference value. The second preference value is associated with second identification information corresponding to a current computing device that is identified as a current preferred egress point for the logical router. The method determines whether to set the egress point connected to the instance of the logical router in the second computing device as a new preferred egress point for the logical router.

Using an attribute value to set a preferred egress point in multi-site logical routers

Some embodiments provide a method of migrating a first software defined (SD) network managed by a first network manager to a second SD network managed by a second network manager. The method of some embodiments is performed by a third network manager that provides an interface that allows a set of users to specify and review logical network components, which the first and second network managers can then respectively deploy in the first and second SD networks. The third network manager in some embodiments identifies for a migration manager a first group of two or more logical network components that the third network manager previously specified for the first network manager to deploy in the first SD network. The migration manager then uses this information to correctly convert the first group of logical network components to a second group of two or more logical components in an appropriate manner that will allow the third network manager to manage the second group of logical network components that is implemented in the second SD network.

Migrating software defined network

Edge device implementing a logical network that spans across multiple routing tables

Some embodiments provide method for implementing a logical router of a logical network. The method receives a configuration for a first logical router. The configuration includes a static route for the first logical router. The method defines several routing components with separate routing tables for the logical router. The method adds a first route, having a first static route type, for the static route to the routing tables of at least a first subset of the routing components. Based on the connection of a second logical router to the first logical router, adding a second route, having a second static route type, to the routing tables of at least a second subset of the routing components.

Static route types for logical routers

Some embodiments provide a method for a host computer that executes a set of data compute nodes (DCNs), for identifying a designated router for a multicast group. The method receives a membership request message to join the multicast group from a particular DCN of the set of DCNs, the membership request message including an address associated with the multicast group. The method identifies a logical router gateway from a set of logical router gateways as the designated router for the multicast group, based at least in part on the address associated with the multicast group, where different logical router gateways from the set of logical router gateways are assigned as designated routers for different multicast groups with different associated addresses. The method forwards the membership request message to the identified logical router gateway.

Load balancing designated routers for multicast groups

Some embodiments provide a method for a first edge device in a first datacenter that implements a centralized routing component of a logical router that spans multiple datacenters and handles data traffic between a logical network implemented across the multiple datacenters and external networks. From a second edge device in a second datacenter, the method receives via routing protocol a route having a particular routing protocol tag. When the first datacenter is a primary datacenter for the logical router such that all data traffic between the logical network and the external networks is handled by one or more centralized routing components implemented at the first datacenter, the method uses the routing protocol tag to determine whether to advertise the received route to the external networks.

Route exchange between logical routers in different datacenters

Configuring edge device with multiple routing tables

The technology disclosed herein enables multicast network traffic to pass an RPF check in a logical router having separated packet handlers. In a particular embodiment, a method includes, in a north/south packet handler of a first logical router, receiving first network traffic from an east/west packet handler of the logical router. The first network traffic is multicast network traffic and the logical router is a first hop router for the first network traffic from a source of the first network traffic. The method further includes identifying an entry for the source in unicast routing information for unicast network traffic. Identifying the entry indicates that the first network traffic passes a reverse path forwarding (RPF) check. In response to the first network traffic passing the RPF check, the method includes transferring the first network traffic from the north/south packet handler to a next hop for the first network traffic indicated by first multicast routing information.

Multicast routing in a logical router having separated north/south and east/west packet handlers

For a multi-tenant environment, some embodiments of the invention provide a novel method for (1) embedding a specific path for a tenant's data message flow through a network in tunnel headers encapsulating the data message flow, and then (2) using the embedded path information to direct the data message flow through the network. In some embodiments, the method selects the specific path from two or more viable such paths through the network for the data message flow.

Specifying and utilizing paths through a network

For a set of gateway devices at the edge of a logical network, some embodiments provide a method for ensuring that data messages from an external network requiring a stateful service are received at an active gateway device. The method advertises the availability of a set of internet protocol (IP) addresses from standby gateway devices with a higher cost than the cost advertised by an active gateway device. In some embodiments, the advertisement is made using a border gateway protocol. Data messages may be unexpectedly received on a standby node despite the higher advertised cost. This could happen due to asymmetric network failures. The method determines if a stateful service is needed for the data messages received on standby node. Based on the determination, the method forwards the received data message to the active gateway device for the active gateway device to provide the stateful service.

Providing stateful services deployed in redundant gateways connected to asymmetric network

Example methods and network devices for tunnel-based routing calculation. One example method may comprise establishing a tunnel between a first tunnel interface and a second tunnel interface; establishing a first session for routing information exchange between a first tunnel endpoint and an underlay network device; establishing a second session for routing information exchange between the first tunnel interface and the second tunnel interface over the tunnel. In response to receiving first routing information over the first session, the underlay network device may be configured to be a next hop to reach the second tunnel endpoint by updating a routing table to include a first entry. Further, the underlay network device may be retained as the next hop by updating the routing table to include a second entry to override second routing information that advertises, over the second session, the second tunnel interface as the next hop.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Ankur Dubey