Vmware, Inc.

Ying Gross

Boon Seong Ang

Wenyi Jiang

Guolin Yang

Example methods and systems for logical network packet handling are described. In one example, a physical network interface controller (PNIC) may receive an egress packet associated with a packet flow via a first virtual function supported by the PNIC. The PNIC may steer the egress packet towards a processing pipeline by applying a filter associated with the first virtual function or content of the egress packet, or both. The egress packet may be processed using the processing pipeline to generate a processed packet by (a) retrieving a logical network policy associated with the packet flow from a datastore on the PNIC and (b) performing one or more actions according to the logical network policy. The processed packet may be forwarded towards the destination via a second virtual function supported by the PNIC or a physical network connected to the PNIC.

Logical network packet handling on physical network interface controller (PNIC)

Example methods and systems for logical network packet handling are described. In one example, a physical network interface controller (PNIC) may receive an ingress encapsulated packet associated with a packet flow via a physical network. The ingress encapsulated packet may include an outer header and an inner packet that is destined for a virtualized computing instance. The ingress encapsulated packet may be steered towards a processing pipeline for processing to generate a processed packet. The processing pipeline may include (a) retrieving a logical network policy associated with the packet flow from a datastore on the PNIC; and (b) performing decapsulation to remove the outer header and one or more actions on the inner packet according to the logical network policy. The processed packet may be forwarded towards the virtualized computing instance via a virtual function supported by the PNIC or a physical network connected to the PNIC.

A method for a sender side assisted flow classification is disclosed. In an embodiment, a method comprises detecting a packet by a network virtualization layer engine implemented in a hypervisor on a sender side of a virtualization computer system; and determining, by the network virtualization layer engine, whether the packet requires special processing. In response to determining that the packet requires special processing, a special processing flag is inserted in a certain field of an outer header of the packet; and the packet is forwarded toward a destination of the packet for a PNIC on a receiver side to process the packet.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Ying Gross