Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Gerald Roy Degrace

Deepak Bansal

Rishabh Tewari

Michal Czeslaw Zygmunt

Deven Jagasia

Lihua Yuan

Xin Liu

Gary Randall Ratterree

Jeff Cox

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) states of an active device are replicated at a backup device configured to track connections in a software defined network (SDN). The backup device receives, from the active device, a TCP packet with a TCP flag including one or more of SYN, SYN-ACK, ACK, FIN, FIN-ACK, ACK, or RESET. When the TCP packet has a SYN flag, the backup device adds a connection record to a connection table. Otherwise, the backup device derives an updated connection state for the connection record using a TCP state machine. The connection state is updated as future packets are received by the backup device.

Efficient state replication in SDN networks

Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets and implementing policies in a software defined network (SDN) of a virtual computing environment. A plurality of computing nodes are communicatively coupled to network devices. The computing nodes are configured to provide at least one cloud edge processing function. The network devices are configured to enable communications between virtual machines within a virtual network of the virtual computing environment in accordance with associated policies. The network devices and the processing function are disaggregated from dependencies on particular computing nodes that are hosting the virtual machines.

Edge gateways in disaggregated networks

Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets and implementing policies in a software defined network (SDN) of a virtual computing environment. A plurality of servers are communicatively coupled to network interfaces of one of a skinny NIC or a smart NIC. The skinny NIC is configured to provide network interfaces for virtual machines hosted on a corresponding server. The smart NIC is configured to enable virtual machine communications within a virtual network in accordance with associated policies.

Pooling smart NICs for network disaggregation

Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets by a hardware-based networking device configured to disaggregate processing of data packets from hosts of a virtualized computing environment. The hardware-based networking device includes a hardware-based component implementing a plurality of behavioral models indicative of packet processing graphs for data flows in the virtualized computing environment. A data packet having a source from or destination to an endpoint in a virtual network of the virtualized computing environment is received. Based on determining that the data packet is a first packet of a data flow to or from the endpoint, one of the behavioral models is mapped to the data flow. The packet is modified in accordance with the mapped behavioral model. A state of the data flow is stored. Subsequent data packets of the data flow are processed based on the stored state.

Hardware-based packet flow processing

Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets and implementing policies in a software defined network (SDN) of a virtual computing environment. At least two SDN appliances are configured to disaggregate enforcement of policies of the SDN from hosts of the virtual computing environment. The hosts are implemented on servers communicatively coupled to network interfaces of the SDN appliance. The servers host a plurality of virtual machines. The servers are communicatively coupled to network interfaces of at least two top-of-rack switches (ToRs). The SDN appliance comprises a plurality of smart network interface cards (sNICs) configured to implement functionality of the SDN appliance. The sNICs have a floating network interface configured to provide a virtual port connection to an endpoint within a virtual network of the virtual computing environment.

Scaling host policy via distribution

Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets and implementing policies in a software defined network (SDN) of a virtual computing environment. At least one SDN appliance is configured to disaggregate enforcement of policies of the SDN from hosts of the virtual computing environment. The servers are communicatively coupled to network interfaces of the SDN appliance. The servers host a plurality of virtual machines The SDN appliance comprises a plurality of smart network interface cards (sNICs) configured to implement functionality of the SDN appliance.

Architectures for disaggregating SDN from the host

In a rack comprising a group of servers and at least two top-of-rack switches, a link fault is detected. A smart data cable connects each of the servers to both top-of-rack switches. A control signal indicates an active communication path from one of the top-of-rack switches to the servers. In response to detecting a failure of the active communication path, the control signal indicates a switch to the second of the top-of-rack switches. In response to the updated control signal, a switching mechanism of the data cable changes the active communication path to the second of the top-of-rack switches.

Smart cable for redundant ToR's

High availability for hardware-based packet flow processing

In an environment comprising a group of servers and at least two network devices, a link fault is detected. A data cable connects each of the servers to both network devices. An active communication path from one of the network devices to the servers is determined. In response to detecting a failure of the active communication path, a second of the network devices is indicated as the active network device. The configuration is detected by the network devices based on packets received at the network devices.

Software emulated switching of dual network devices

Various techniques for managing communications backup for computer networks are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes detecting an abnormal operating condition at a primary network node, the primary network node being coupled to a computing device via a first optical connection between an optical switch and the primary network node. In response to the detected abnormal operation condition, the method includes prompting the optical switch to switch from the first optical connection to a second optical connection between the optical switch and a standby network node. The method further includes instructing the standby network node to facilitate communications with the computing device based on the replicated network configuration.

Growing community of inventors

Atlanta, GA, United States of America

Gerald Roy Degrace