Nicira, Inc.

Vmware, Inc.

Ziyou Wang

Hua Wang

Jianjun Shen

Donghai Han

Anupam Chanda

Pankaj Thakkar

Pradeep Singh

Ariel Tubaltsev

Jin Liu

Bolt Zhang

Sarvani Vakkalanka

HsinYi Shen

Yusheng Wang

Mengdie Song

Rui Cao

Hsin-Yi Shen

Raju Koganty

Pierluigi Rolando

Qiong Wang

Anuprem Chalvadi

Medhavi Dhawan

Chaitanya Kodeboyina

Wenfeng Liu

Yang Ping

Yong Feng

Li Sun

Yanjun Lin

Wu Qi

Mary Firenze

Example methods and systems for intent-based network virtualization design are disclosed. One example may comprise: obtaining configuration information and traffic information associated with multiple virtualized computing instances, processing the configuration information and traffic information to identify network connectivity intents and mapping the network connectivity intents to a logical network topology template. Based on a switching intent, a first group may be assigned to a logical network domain and the logical network topology template modified to include a logical switching element. Based on a routing intent, the logical network topology template may be modified to include a logical routing element. A logical network may be configured based on the modified logical network topology template to satisfy the switching intent and routing intent.

Intent-based network virtualization design

For a network with host machines that are hosting virtual machines, a method for facilitating BUM (broadcast, unknown unicast, and multicast) traffic between a hardware switch (e.g., ToR switch) and the host machines is provided. The network has a set of host machines configured as a cluster of replicators for replicating BUM traffic from the hardware switch to the host machines. A set of network controllers establishes failure-detection tunnels for links between the hardware switch and the replicator cluster. The replicator cluster informs the set of controllers of a change in the membership of the replicator cluster to initiate an update to the active failure-detection sessions. The set of network controllers communicates with the replicator cluster and a ToR switch to establish bidirectional forwarding detection (BFD) sessions between one or more replicator nodes in the replicator cluster and the ToR switch.

Automatic setup of failure detection sessions

The disclosure provides an approach for providing an extendable system health management framework in a network. Embodiments include receiving, by a manager, a system health plugin. Embodiments include determining, by the manager, an association between the system health plugin and a host in the network based on the host satisfying one or more conditions. Embodiments include providing, by the manager, the system health plugin to the host for installation in a system health agent on the host. Embodiments include receiving, by the manager, from the host, status information for the system health plugin.

Dynamic plugin management for system health

Certain embodiments described herein are generally directed to consistent processing of transport node network configuration data in a physical sharding architecture. For example, in some embodiments a first central control plane (CCP) node of a plurality of CCP nodes determines a sharding table, which is shared by the plurality of CCP nodes. In certain embodiments, the first CCP node determines a connection establishment between a first transport node and the first CCP node. In some embodiments, if the first CCP node determines, based on the sharding table, that it is a physical master of the first transport node, the first CCP node receives network configuration data from the first transport node, stores at least a portion of the network configuration data, and transmits a data update comprising at least a portion of the network configuration data to a shared data store accessible by the plurality of CCP nodes.

Consistent processing of transport node network data in a physical sharding architecture

Example methods and systems for intent-based network virtualization design are disclosed. One example may comprise: obtaining configuration information and traffic information associated with multiple virtualized computing instances, processing the configuration information and traffic information to identify network connectivity intents and mapping the network connectivity intents to a logical network topology template. Based on a first switching intent, a first group may be assigned to a first logical network domain and the logical network topology template configured to include a first logical switching element. Based on a second switching intent, a second group may be assigned to a second logical network domain and the logical network topology template configured to include a second logical switching element. Based on a routing intent, the logical network topology template may be configured to include a logical routing element.

For a virtual distributed network environment employing physical forwarding elements that includes both software forwarding elements and third party devices serving as hardware forwarding elements, a scalable method for synchronizing configuration data of logical forwarding elements that are distributed across the various physical forwarding elements is provided. The method generates and updates the configuration data at a set of central controllers and then distributes the configuration data to the physical forwarding elements. The method delivers the updated configuration data to some of the physical forwarding elements by (i) determining a delta/differential between the updated configuration data held at the central controller and the obsolete configuration data held at those physical forwarding elements and (ii) delivering the determined differential configuration data to the physical forwarding elements.

Scalable controller for hardware VTEPs

Some embodiments provide a method for assigning different service path identifiers to each of a set of different service paths along each of which a same set of service operations are performed on a set of packets. The method retrieves an available service path identifier from an identifier storage that stores service path identifiers for multiple service paths. The method generates a set of proposed service path identifiers based on the retrieved available service path identifier and the number of service paths in the set of service paths. The method performs a write operation on the identifier storage based on the set of proposed service path identifiers, and based on a determination that the write operation was successful, assigns the set of proposed service path identifiers to the set of service paths. Based on the set of service path identifiers, the method forwards the set of packets along the set of service paths.

Service path identifier allocation in service insertion

Some embodiments provide, for a first controller application, a method for configuring a managed hardware forwarding element (MHFE) to implement one or more logical networks. The method of some embodiments receives logical network data that defines at least one logical forwarding element of a logical network to be implemented by the MHFE. The method then identifies a set of tables of a database instance that is instantiated on the MHFE in order to distribute the logical network data to the MHFE. In some embodiments, the method monitors the identified set of tables in order to determine whether a second controller application updates any one of the set of tables. The method distributes the logical network data to the MHFE so long as none of the tables in the set of tables is updated by the second controller application.

Preventing concurrent distribution of network data to a hardware switch by multiple controllers

Example methods are provided for a host to implement distributed network emulation in a virtualized computing environment. The method may comprise detecting one or more packets from a source network address associated with a source virtualized computing instance to a destination network address associated with a destination virtualized computing instance. The method may also comprise, in response to determination that a network emulation rule configured for the source virtualized computing instance and destination virtualized computing instance is applicable to the one or more packets, determining a physical network condition associated with a path between the source virtualized computing instance and destination virtualized computing instance. The method may further comprise emulating a desired network condition specified by the network emulation rule by performing an emulation action on the one or more packets.

Distributed network emulation implemented by a host in a virtualized computing environment

A method for a node to become a member of a cluster includes, when the node is in an initialization state, refraining from starting any service for the cluster, rejecting any reconfiguration request from a coordinator of the cluster, and determining if a local copy of a member list is out-of-date. When the local member list is up-to-date, the method includes advancing to an observer state or a participant state depending on if the node is in the member list. When the local copy of the member list is out-of-date, the method includes waiting to receive the member list, updating the local member list to be equal to the member list, persisting the local member list, recording the local member list as up-to-date, and advancing to an observer state or a participant state depending if the node is in the member list.

Node in cluster membership management protocol

Some embodiments provide a managed hardware forwarding element (MHFE) controller that serves as an intermediary between one or more central controllers in a central control plane (CCP) cluster and one or more third-party hardware devices (e.g., physical switches and routers, applicances such as firewalls, load balancers, etc.). The MHFE controller of some embodiments uses (i) a first protocol to communicate with the CCP cluster and (ii) a second protocol to communicate with the one or more third-party devices managed by the MHFE controller, thereby enabling the CCP cluster to distribute logical network configuration information to the physical workloads (e.g., third-party servers connected to a third-party Top of Rack (TOR) switch).

Control plane integration with hardware switches

A method is provided for a coordinator to manage cluster membership. In a stable state, the coordinator provides a member list to all the nodes in a node list. The member list includes nodes that are cluster members. The node list includes nodes that are or wish to be members of the cluster. When the node list differs from the member list, the coordinator advances to a reconfiguration state to change the membership of the cluster. In the reconfiguration state, the coordinator sends a reconfiguration request to all the nodes in the node list. When reconfiguration acknowledgements are received from all the nodes within a timeout period, the coordinator updates the member list to be equal to the node list, persists the updated member list, sends a reconfiguration confirmation including the updated member list to all the nodes in the node list, and returns to the stable state.

Coordinator in cluster membership management protocol

Example methods are provided for a network management entity to implement distributed network emulation in a virtualized computing environment. The method may comprise: generating a translated network emulation rule by translating a source identifier and a destination identifier in a network emulation rule to respective source network address and destination network address, and configuring a source host or destination host to apply the translated network emulation rule to emulate a desired network condition for one or more first packets from the source network address to the destination network address. The method may further comprise: in response to detecting that the source network address or destination network address has been updated, updating the source network address or destination network address in the translated network emulation rule; and reconfiguring the source host or destination host to apply the updated translated network emulation rule.

Growing community of inventors

Beijing, China

Ziyou Wang