Managing forwarding elements at edge nodes connected to a virtual network

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method for maintaining a virtual network that spans at least one cloud datacenter separate from multi-machine edge nodes of an entity. This method configures a gateway in the cloud datacenter to establish secure connections with several edge devices at several multi-machine edge nodes (e.g., branch offices, datacenters, etc.) in order to establish the virtual network. The method configures the gateway to assess quality of connection links with different edge devices, and to terminate a secure connection with a particular edge device for a duration of time after the assessed quality of the connection link to the particular edge device is worse than a threshold value. In some embodiments, the gateway is configured to distribute routes to edge devices at the edge nodes, and to forgo distributing any route to the particular edge device along the connection link for the duration of time when the assessed quality of the connection link is worse than (e.g., less than) a threshold value. In different embodiments, the gateway assesses the quality of the connection link based on different factors or different combinations of factors. Examples of such factors in some embodiments include the following attributes of a connection link: packet loss, latency, signal jitter, etc. Also, the routes that the gateway distributes in some embodiments include routes that the edge devices distribute to the gateway, as well as routes that the gateway learns on its own.