Vmware, Inc.

Velocloud Networks, LLC

Arun Kumar Srinivasan

Navaneeth Krishnan Ramaswamy

Balaji Shanmugam

Sumit Mundhra

Saravanan Kandasamy

Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for implementing an SD-WAN connecting multiple sites at multiple physical locations. The method is performed at a first route reflector for a first region of the SD-WAN. The method receives, from a hub router of the first region, a peer-connection notification regarding a newly connected first edge router located at a first site in a second region. The method determines that a routing table maintained by the first route reflector does not include routes of the first edge router and that the first route reflector does not have a direct connection to the first edge router. Based on said determining, the method requests routes of the first edge router from the hub router. After receiving from the hub router the requested routes of the first edge router, the method updates the routing table to include the routes of the first edge router.

Distributed gateways for multi-regional large scale deployments

Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for forwarding packets through an SD-WAN. The method is performed at a route reflector that advertises routes to facilitate forwarding of packets between first and second regions of the SD-WAN. The method advertises (1) to a first set of edge routers in the first region, a first route identifying a next-hop first hub router for initiating communications with a second set of edge routers in the second region, and (2) to the second set of edge routers, a second route identifying a next-hop second hub router for initiating communications with the first set of edge routers. When the second hub router loses connectivity to a first edge router of the first set of edge routers, the method advertises to the second set of edge routers a third route identifying the next-hop first hub router for initiating communications with the first edge router.

Forwarding packets in multi-regional large scale deployments with distributed gateways

Some embodiments provide a method for modifying an SD-WAN (software-defined wide-area network). The method collects, from a set of managed forwarding elements (MFEs), multiple metrics associated with multiple data message flows sent between the set of MFEs. The method analyzes the collected multiple metrics to group the data message flows according to multiple types and to identify a ranking of the multiple groups of data message flows according to traffic throughput. The method uses the ranking to identify a set of one or more groups of data message flows. The method modifies the SD-WAN to improve forwarding through the SD-WAN for the identified set of one or more groups of data message flows.

Modifying an SD-wan based on flow metrics

Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for forwarding packets through an SD-WAN. To facilitate the forwarding of packets between first and second regions of the SD-WAN, said first and second regions having respective first and second hub routers forwarding packets between respective first and second sets of edge routers of respective first and second sets of sites of the first and second regions, the method directs (1) the first set of edge routers to establish connections to the first and second hub routers, and to use the first hub router as a next-hop to initiate communications with the second set of edge routers, and (2) the second set of edge routers to establish connections to the first and second hub routers, and to use the second hub router as a next-hop to initiate communications with the first set of edge routers.

Some embodiments provide a method for dynamically deploying a managed forwarding element (MFE) in a software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN) for a particular geographic region across which multiple SaaS applications is distributed. The method determines, based on flow patterns for multiple flows destined for the multiple SaaS applications distributed across the particular geographic region, that an additional MFE is needed for the particular geographic region. The method configures the additional MFE to deploy at a particular location in the particular geographic region for forwarding the multiple flows to the multiple SaaS applications. The method provides, to a particular set of MFEs that connect a set of branch sites to the SD-WAN, a set of forwarding rules to direct the particular set of MFEs to use the additional MFE for forwarding subsequent data messages belonging to the multiple flows to the multiple SaaS applications.

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Waterloo, Canada

Arun Kumar Srinivasan