Configuring and operating a XaaS model in a datacenter
First Claim
1. A method of implementing a service model in a datacenter comprising a plurality of host computers executing a plurality of source compute nodes (SCNs), the method comprising:
- providing a particular host computer with parameters for establishing first and second tunnels between the particular host computer and first and second service nodes of first and second service providers external to the datacenter; and
providing the particular host computer with a service-action set that includes first and second service actions to be respectively performed by the first and second service nodes on at least one data message flow of one SCN executing on the particular host computer,each service action in the service-action set defined by referencing an identifier that identifies one service provider for performing the service action,each tunnel for use in relaying each data message of said data message flow to a service node of a service provider to perform a service action on the data message,wherein after performing the first service action on each data message of said data message flow, the first service node of the first service provider sends a response data message back to the particular host computer along the first tunnel and the data message is sent to the second service node of the second service provider along the second tunnel for the second service node to perform the second service action on the data message.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Some embodiments provide novel inline switches that distribute data messages from source compute nodes (SCNs) to different groups of destination service compute nodes (DSCNs). In some embodiments, the inline switches are deployed in the source compute nodes datapaths (e.g., egress datapath). The inline switches in some embodiments are service switches that (1) receive data messages from the SCNs, (2) identify service nodes in a service-node cluster for processing the data messages based on service policies that the switches implement, and (3) use tunnels to send the received data messages to their identified service nodes. Alternatively, or conjunctively, the inline service switches of some embodiments (1) identify service-nodes cluster for processing the data messages based on service policies that the switches implement, and (2) use tunnels to send the received data messages to the identified service-node clusters. The service-node clusters can perform the same service or can perform different services in some embodiments. This tunnel-based approach for distributing data messages to service nodes/clusters is advantageous for seamlessly implementing in a datacenter a cloud-based XaaS model (where XaaS stands for X as a service, and X stands for anything), in which any number of services are provided by service providers in the cloud.
231 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of implementing a service model in a datacenter comprising a plurality of host computers executing a plurality of source compute nodes (SCNs), the method comprising:
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providing a particular host computer with parameters for establishing first and second tunnels between the particular host computer and first and second service nodes of first and second service providers external to the datacenter; and providing the particular host computer with a service-action set that includes first and second service actions to be respectively performed by the first and second service nodes on at least one data message flow of one SCN executing on the particular host computer, each service action in the service-action set defined by referencing an identifier that identifies one service provider for performing the service action, each tunnel for use in relaying each data message of said data message flow to a service node of a service provider to perform a service action on the data message, wherein after performing the first service action on each data message of said data message flow, the first service node of the first service provider sends a response data message back to the particular host computer along the first tunnel and the data message is sent to the second service node of the second service provider along the second tunnel for the second service node to perform the second service action on the data message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program for implementing a service model in a datacenter comprising a plurality of host computers executing a plurality of source computer nodes (SCNs), the program comprising sets of instructions for:
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providing a particular host computer with parameters for establishing first and second tunnels between the particular host computer and first and second service nodes of first and second service providers external to the datacenter; and providing the particular host computer with a service-action set that includes first and second service actions to be respectively performed by the first and second service nodes on at least one data message flow of one SCN executing on the particular host computer, each service action in the service-action set defined by referencing an identifier that identifies one service provider for performing the service action, each tunnel for use in relaying each data message of said data message flow to a service node of a service provider to perform a service action on the data message, wherein after performing the first service action on each data message of said data message flow, the first service node of the first service provider sends a response data message back to the particular host computer along the first tunnel and the data message is sent to the second service node of the second service provider along the second tunnel for the second service node to perform the second service action on the data message. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification