Vmware, Inc.

Nicira, Inc.

Hongwei Zhu

Ganesan Chandrashekhar

Chidambareswaran Raman

Dileep Kumar Devireddy

Sreenivas Duvvuri

Ganesh Sadasivan

Nithin Bangalore Raju

Ankur Kumar Sharma

Feng Gu

Xiaohu Wang

Vivek Agarwal

Jia Yu

Abhishek Goliya

Yong Wang

Xinhua Hong

Boon Seong Ang

Alexander Tessmer

Rajeev Nair

Samuel Jacob

Aditya Krishna Sonthy

In some embodiments, a method adds a specific route for an IP address that is associated with a first workload into a routing table for a first network device in a first site in response to the first workload being migrated from a second site to the first site. The first network device receives a packet from a second workload for the first workload and determines that a destination of the packet matches the specific route in the routing table. The method routes the packet from the second workload to the first workload using the specific route in the routing table without sending the packet to the second site.

Routing using specific routes

Some embodiments provide a method for deploying edge forwarding elements in a public or private software defined datacenter (SDDC). For an entity, the method deploys a default first edge forwarding element to process data message flows between machines of the entity in a first network of the SDDC and machines external to the first network of the SDDC. The method subsequently receives a request to allocate more bandwidth to a first set of the data message flows entering or exiting the first network of the SDDC. In response, the method deploys a second edge forwarding element to process the first set of data message flows of the entity in order to allocate more bandwidth to the first set of the data message flows, while continuing to process a second set of data message flows of the entity through the default first edge node. The method in some embodiments receives the request for more bandwidth by first receiving a request to create a traffic group and then receiving a list of network addresses that are associated with the traffic group. In some embodiments, the method receives the list of network addresses associated with the traffic group by receiving a prefix of network addresses and receiving a request to associate the prefix of network addresses with the traffic group. Based on this request, the method then creates an association between the traffic group and the received prefix of network addresses.

Allocating additional bandwidth to resources in a datacenter through deployment of dedicated gateways

Some embodiments provide policy-driven methods for deploying edge forwarding elements in a public or private SDDC for tenants or applications. For instance, the method of some embodiments allows administrators to create different traffic groups for different applications and/or tenants, deploys edge forwarding elements for the different traffic groups, and configures forwarding elements in the SDDC to direct data message flows of the applications and/or tenants through the edge forwarding elements deployed for them. The policy-driven method of some embodiments also dynamically deploys edge forwarding elements in the SDDC for applications and/or tenants after detecting the need for the edge forwarding elements based on monitored traffic flow conditions.

Some embodiments provide a method for forwarding data messages between edge nodes that perform stateful processing on flows between a logical network and an external network. At a particular edge node, the method receives a data message belonging to a flow. The edge nodes use a deterministic algorithm to select one of the edge nodes to perform processing for each flow. The method identifies a first edge node to perform processing for the flow in a previous configuration and a second edge node to perform processing for the flow in a new configuration according to the algorithm. When the first and second edge nodes are different, the method uses a probabilistic filter and a stateful connection tracker to determine whether the flow existed prior to a particular time. When the flow did not exist prior to that time, the method selects the second edge node for the received data message.

Scaling edge services with minimal disruption

Some embodiments provide a method for proxying ARP requests. At an MFE that executes on a host computer operating at a first site to implement a distributed router along with at least one additional MFE at the first site, the method receives, from a router at a remote second site, an ARP request for an IP address associated with a logical switch that spans the first site and the remote second site, and to which both the distributed router and the router at the remote second site connect. The method determines whether a table that includes IP addresses for a set of DCNs that use the distributed router as a default gateway includes the IP address. When the IP address is in the table, the method proxies the request at the host computer. When the particular IP address is not in the table, the MFE does not proxy the request.

Selective ARP proxy

Some embodiments provide a method for an MFE, in a first datacenter, to implement an LN spanning the first datacenter and a set of additional datacenters. The method stores records that each map one or more LN addresses for DCNs belonging to the LN and operating in the first datacenter to a different TEP address. The method stores an additional record that maps addresses for DCNs connected to a particular LFE of the LN and operating in the additional datacenters to a group of TEP addresses corresponding to LN gateways that handle data traffic for the particular LFE between the first datacenter and the additional datacenters. Upon receiving a data message with a destination address corresponding to a DCN connected to the particular LFE and operating in one of the additional datacenters, the method uses the additional record to identify a TEP address for encapsulating the data message.

Tunnel endpoint group records

Some embodiments provide a method for a set of central controllers that manages forwarding elements operating in a plurality of datacenters. The method receives a configuration for a bridge between (i) a logical L2 network that spans at least two datacenters and (ii) a physical L2 network. The configuration specifies a particular one of the datacenters for implementation of the bridge. The method identifies multiple managed forwarding elements that implement the logical L2 network and are operating in the particular datacenter. The method selects one of the identified managed forwarding elements to implement the bridge. The method distributes bridge configuration data to the selected managed forwarding element.

Selection of managed forwarding element for bridge spanning multiple datacenters

Some embodiments provide a method for an edge computing device in a first datacenter that implements a logical network gateway for processing data traffic for a particular LFE between the first datacenter and multiple other datacenters. For each particular other datacenter, the method stores a record that maps logical network addresses for DCNs connected to the particular LFE and operating in the particular datacenter to a group of TEP addresses corresponding to logical network gateways that handle data traffic for the particular LFE between the particular datacenter and the other datacenters, including the first datacenter. Upon receiving a data message for the particular LFE from a host computer in the first datacenter, the method uses a destination address of the data message to identify one of the groups of TEP addresses. The method encapsulates the data message with one of the TEP addresses from the identified group of TEP addresses.

Tunnel endpoint group records for inter-datacenter traffic

In some embodiments, a first network device in a first site sets a first IP address for an interface of the first network device to a value of a second IP address of a second network device in a second site. Policies are added in a policy table to cover IP addresses used in the second site and a specific route for a third IP address associated with a first workload migrated from the second site to the first site is added into a routing table. The first workload is on a stretched network that is coupled via a layer 2 channel. The policy table configures the first network device to send a second packet from the first workload to a third workload in the second site via the layer 2 channel when an IP address for the third workload does not match an eligible route in the routing table.

Policy-based proximity routing

In some embodiments, a method receives, by a first network device, a packet from a first workload that is located in first site. The first site includes stretched networks across a second site and a third site. The packet includes a destination IP address for a device in the second site. The method determines that the destination IP address does not match an eligible route in a routing table. The first workload was migrated from the second site to the first site and is located on a stretched network between the first site and the second site. A site identifier associated with the first workload is determined where the site identifier identifies the second site. The method selects a site policy based on the site identifier and uses the site policy to send the packet through a layer 2 channel to the second network device in the second site.

Site aware policy-based proximity routing and policy-based proximity routing

Described herein are systems, methods, and software to enhance flow operations on a host computing system. In one implementation, a virtual switch on a host identifies a packet from a virtual node. In response to identifying the packet, the virtual switch determines whether the packet corresponds to a cached result action based on traits of the packet. If the packet corresponds to a cached result action, then the virtual switch may process the packet in accordance with the cached result action. In contrast, if the packet does not correspond to a cached result action, then the virtual switch may process the packet in accordance with first flow operations to determine a result action, and cache the result action for use with future packets.

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Hongwei Zhu