Joining an application cluster

• US 10,153,918 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nicira Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nicira Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Olmsted-Thompson, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kassa, Elizabeth
• Application Number:
  US14/838,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20170063676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 709217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method, for a first cluster manager (CM), for adding an application instance (AI) to a cluster operating across several datacenters. The method identifies a first AI to add to the cluster and a second AI that already belongs to the cluster, and sends a request to add the first AI to a second CM that operates on a same machine as the second AI. The request includes an address for the first AI and a datacenter identifier that indicates a datacenter in which the first AI operates. From the second CM, the method receives a cluster topology that identifies several AIs of the cluster within the several datacenters. The topology includes a datacenter identifier for each of the identified AIs. The method processes data sent between the first AI and other AIs of the cluster according to an overlay network defined by the received topology.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a first application instance operating in a first datacenter to send data to a second application instance operating in a second datacenter, the method comprising:

at a first cluster manager that manages the first application instance and operates in the first datacenter;

sending, to a second cluster manager, a request to add the first application instance to an application cluster that includes the second application instance operating in the second datacenter;

from the second cluster manager, receiving a cluster topology that identifies a plurality of application instances of the application cluster within a plurality of datacenters, wherein the plurality of application instances comprises the first and the second application instances, wherein the cluster topology comprises information for defining an overlay-network encapsulation header for sending data messages from the first application instance to the second datacenter;

receiving, from the first application instance a first data message that is for the second application instance; and

encapsulating the first data message with the overlay-network encapsulation header and sending the encapsulated first data message to the second datacenter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application instance operates on a first machine that comprises a first network interface for sending data messages that are not encapsulated with the overlay-network encapsulation header, wherein the method further comprises creating a second network interface for sending data messages encapsulated with the overlay-network encapsulation header.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the request sent to the second cluster manager comprises an address for the first application instance that is an overlay network address assigned to the second network interface for the first application instance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a datacenter identifier identifying that the first application instance operates in the first datacenter.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the request further comprises an indication that the first application instance is an access point for the first datacenter, wherein an address assigned to the first application instance is a publicly accessible address.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second cluster manager operates in the second datacenter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein sending the encapsulated first data message to the second datacenter comprises sending the first data message to the second cluster manager for the second cluster manager to forward the first data message to a third cluster manager for the second application instance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cluster manager operates on a computer along with the first application instance.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first application instance operates in a first container on the computer, wherein the first cluster manager manages at least a third application instance operating in a second container on the computer.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the second cluster manager operates in the first datacenter and manages a third application instance in the application cluster.

10. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a first cluster manager for execution by at least one processing unit, the first cluster manager for allowing a first application instance operating in a first datacenter to send data to a second application instance operating in a second datacenter, the first cluster manager comprising sets of instructions for:

sending, to a second cluster manager, a request to add the first application instance to an application cluster that includes the second application instance operating in the second datacenter;

from the second cluster manager, receiving a cluster topology that identifies a plurality of application instances of the application cluster within a plurality of datacenters, wherein the plurality of application instances comprises the first and the second application instances, wherein the cluster topology comprises information for defining an overlay-network encapsulation header for sending data messages from the first application instance to the second datacenter;

receiving, from the first application instance, a first data message that is for the second application instance; and

encapsulating the first data message with the overlay-network encapsulation header and sending the encapsulated first data message to the second datacenter.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first application instance operates on a first machine that comprises a first network interface for sending data messages that are not encapsulated with the overlay-network encapsulation header, wherein the first cluster manager further comprises a set of instructions for creating a second network interface for sending data messages encapsulated with the overlay-network encapsulation header.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11, wherein the request sent to the second cluster manager comprises an address for the first application instance that is an overlay network address that is assigned to the second network interface for the first application instance.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12, wherein the request further comprises an indication that the first application instance is an access point for the first datacenter, wherein an address assigned to the first application instance is a publicly accessible address.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein the second cluster manager operates in the second datacenter.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein the set of instructions for sending the encapsulated first data message to the second datacenter comprises sending the first data message to the second cluster manager for the second cluster manager to forward the first data message to a third cluster manager for the second application instance.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first cluster manager operates on a same first machine as the first application instance.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11, wherein the request further comprises a datacenter identifier identifying that the first application instance operates in the first datacenter.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first application instance operates in a first container on the computer, wherein the first cluster manager manages at least a third application instance operating in a second container on the computer.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein the second cluster manager operates in the first datacenter and manages a third application instance in the application cluster.