Storing network state at a network controller

• US 10,069,676 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2017
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nicira Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nicira Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koponen, Teemu, Davie, Bruce, Stribling, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): PHUNKULH, BOB A
• Application Number:
  US15/583,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20170237605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0661 by reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0695 the faulty arrangement being the maintenance, administration or management system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0873 Checking configuration conflicts between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/20 the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/036 Updating the topology between route computation elements, e.g. between OpenFlow controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method for a first network controller located at a first physical domain that manages a logical network spanning several physical domains including the first domain. The method stores a set of context identifiers for assignment to logical entities. The context identifiers are for use in packets sent between managed forwarding elements in order to store logical network information in the packets. While connected to a master controller for the logical network at a second physical domain of the several physical domains, the method forwards state input requiring assignment of context identifiers to the master controller. While connectivity is lost with the master controller, the method assigns context identifiers from the stored set of context identifiers to logical entities.

Claims

1. A network controller for managing a logical network that spans a plurality of physical domains, each physical domain comprising a plurality of forwarding elements managed by network controllers located at the physical domain, the network controller located at a particular one of the plurality of physical domains, the network controller comprising:

a first storage for storing network state information that is local to the particular physical domain and that does not affect the other physical domains;

a second storage for storing a first type of global network state information for the logical network, wherein the first type of global network state information affects the other physical domains and is reconcilable between the particular physical domain and the other physical domains after a period of disconnection during which the physical domain is disconnected from the other physical domains;

a third storage for storing a second type of global network state information for the logical network, wherein the second type of global network state information affects the other physical domains and is non-reconcilable between the particular physical domain and other physical domains after a period of disconnection; and

an interface for communicating with other network controllers located at the other physical domains in the plurality of physical domains spanned by the logical network, the interface for sharing the first and second types of global network state information,

wherein the local network state information and first and second types of global network state information comprise data relating to configuration of the logical network.

2. The network controller of claim 1, wherein upon disconnection of the particular domain from at least one of the domains in the plurality of domains spanned by the logical network, (i) the first and second storages are readable and writeable and (ii) the third storage is read-only.

3. The network controller of claim 2, wherein when the particular domain is connected to all of the domains in the plurality of domains spanned by the logical network, the first, second, and third storages are both readable and writeable.

4. The network controller of claim 1, wherein the network controller further comprises a queue for storing updates made to the second storage during the period of disconnection.

5. The network controller of claim 4, wherein the interface is for sharing the updates stored in the queue with the other network controllers located at the other physical domains after the period of disconnection.

6. The network controller of claim 1, wherein the local network state information comprises connectivity information between the network controller and the forwarding elements located in the particular domain that are managed by the network controller.

7. The network controller of claim 1, wherein the first type of global network state information comprises locations of virtual machines that connect to the logical network and are located within the particular physical domain.

8. The network controller of claim 1, wherein the second type of global network state information comprises security policy for the logical network.

9. For a first network controller located at a first domain that manages a logical network spanning a plurality of physical domains including the first domain, a method comprising:

storing state information for the logical network in at least two storages, the state information comprising network configuration data for the logical network;

determining that communication is no longer available with a second network controller at a second of the physical domains spanned by the logical network; and

in response to the determination, modifying a first one of the storages to be read-only while leaving a second one of the storages as writeable while communication with the second network controller is not available, wherein the first storage stores state information that is not reconcilable with the second physical domain after communication with the second network controller is restored.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

while communication with the second network controller is not available, receiving input to modify the network state information in the first storage; and

returning an error message indicating that the network state information cannot be modified.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

while communication with the second network controller is not available, receiving input to modify the network state information in the second storage; and

modifying the network state information in the second storage based on the input.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising storing the modification to the network state in a local queue of network state updates.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the second storage stores network state information that is local to the particular physical domain and the first storage stores global network state information for the logical network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second storage further stores global network state information for the logical network that is reconcilable with the second physical domain after communication with the second network controller is restored.

15. A machine readable medium storing a program for a first network controller located at a first domain that manages a logical network spanning a plurality of physical domains including the first domain, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

storing state information for the logical network in at least two storages, the state information comprising network configuration data for the logical network;

determining that communication is no longer available with a second network controller at a second of the physical domains spanned by the logical network; and

in response to the determination, modifying a first one of the storages to be read-only while leaving a second one of the storages as writeable while communication with the second network controller is not available, wherein the first storage stores state information that is not reconcilable with the second physical domain after communication with the second network controller is restored.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the program further comprises sets of instructions for:

while communication with the second network controller is not available, receiving input to modify the network state information in the first storage; and

returning an error message indicating that the network state information cannot be modified.

17. The machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the program further comprises sets of instructions for:

while communication with the second network controller is not available, receiving input to modify the network state information in the second storage; and

modifying the network state information in the second storage based on the input.

18. The machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for storing the modification to the network state in a local queue of network state updates.

19. The machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second storage stores network state information that is local to the particular physical domain and the first storage stores global network state information for the logical network.

20. The machine readable medium of claim 19, wherein the second storage further stores global network state information for the logical network that is reconcilable with the second physical domain after communication with the second network controller is restored.