Tracing network packets through logical and physical networks

• US 10,181,993 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2017
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nicira Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nicira Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ganichev, Igor, Thakkar, Pankaj, Koponen, Teemu, Dong, Mo
• Primary Examiner(s): O Connor, Brian T
• Application Number:
  US15/838,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20180102959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/07 Responding to the occurrence of a fault, e.g. fault tolerance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• 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 45/42 Centralised routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method for a first network controller that manages a set of logical forwarding elements implemented in several managed forwarding elements. The method receives a request to trace a specified packet having a particular source on a logical forwarding element. The method generates the packet according to the packet specification. The generated packet includes an indicator that the packet is for a trace operation. The method sends the packet to a second network controller that manages a managed forwarding element associated with the particular source. The method receives a first set of messages regarding operations performed on the packet from a set of network controllers that receives a second set of messages regarding operations performed on the packet from a set of managed forwarding elements that process the packet.

Claims

1. For a managed forwarding element (MFE) that implements a logical forwarding element (LFE) of a logical network along with a plurality of other MFEs, a method comprising:

receiving a packet comprising an indicator that the packet is used for a trace operation;

performing a logical forwarding operation on the packet;

generating a first set of trace-observation data relating to the logical forwarding operation;

performing a physical forwarding operation;

generating a second set of trace-observation data relating to the physical forwarding operation;

sending, to a network controller, the first and second trace-observation data sets.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the packet comprises receiving a command from a network controller that provides the packet to the first MFE to treat the packet as if the first MFE received the packet through an ingress port connected to a virtual machine of the logical network, wherein a source address associated with the packet corresponds to the ingress port.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet is a first packet, wherein generating the first and second trace-observation data sets is based on the trace indicator, the method further comprising:

receiving a second packet that does not comprise an indicator that the second packet is used for a trace operation;

performing logical and physical forwarding operations on the second packet without generating any trace-observation data sets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the logical forwarding operation comprises using a first set of logical forwarding rules to process the packet in order to identify an LFE egress port for the packet.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first trace-observation data set comprises (i) an identifier for the LFE and (ii) a port identifier for the LFE egress port.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the LFE is a logical router, wherein the first trace-observation data set further comprises a routing entry matched by the packet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the LFE is a logical switch, wherein the MFE further implements a logical router of the logical network, wherein the logical forwarding operation is a first logical forwarding operation, the method further comprising:

performing, on the packet, a second logical forwarding operation for the logical router;

generating a third set of trace observation data relating to the second logical forwarding operation; and

sending, to the network controller, the third trace-observation data set.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the physical forwarding operation comprises encapsulating the packet with a tunnel header and sending the packet out a port of the MFE, wherein the second trace-observation data set comprises a tunnel identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the physical forwarding operation comprises delivering the packet to a virtual machine via a port of the MFE, wherein the second trace-observation data set comprises an MFE identifier and a port identifier.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the physical forwarding operation comprises forwarding the packet to a second MFE, wherein the second MFE generates and sends a third trace-observation data set for the packet to a second network controller.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a managed forwarding element (MFE) which when executed by at least one processing unit implements a logical forwarding element (LFE) of a logical network along with a plurality of other MFEs, the MFE comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a packet comprising an indicator that the packet is used for a trace operation;

performing a logical forwarding operation on the packet;

generating a first set of trace observation data relating to the logical forwarding operation;

performing a physical forwarding operation;

generating a second set of trace observation data relating to the physical forwarding operation;

sending, to a network controller, the first and second trace-observation data sets.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the set of instructions for receiving the packet comprises a set of instructions for receiving a command from a network controller that provides the packet to the first MFE to treat the packet as if the first MFE received the packet through an ingress port connected to a virtual machine of the logical network, wherein a source address associated with the packet corresponds to the ingress port.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the packet is a first packet, wherein generating the first and second trace-observation data sets is based on the trace indicator, the MFE further comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a second packet that does not comprise an indicator that the second packet is used for a trace operation;

performing logical and physical forwarding operations on the second packet without generating any trace-observation data sets.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the set of instructions for performing the logical forwarding operation comprises a set of instructions for using a first set of logical forwarding rules to process the packet in order to identify an LFE egress port for the packet.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first trace-observation data set comprises (i) an identifier for the LFE and (ii) a port identifier for the LFE egress port.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the LFE is a logical router, wherein the first trace-observation data set further comprises a routing entry matched by the packet.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the LFE is a logical switch, wherein the MFE further implements a logical router of the logical network, wherein the logical forwarding operation is a first logical forwarding operation, the MFE further comprising sets of instructions for:

performing, on the packet, a second logical forwarding operation for the logical router;

generating a third set of trace observation data relating to the second logical forwarding operation; and

sending, to the network controller, the third trace-observation data set.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the set of instructions for performing the physical forwarding operation comprises a set of instructions for encapsulating the packet with a tunnel header and sending the packet out a port of the MFE, wherein the second trace-observation data set comprises a tunnel identifier.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the set of instructions for performing the physical forwarding operation comprises a set of instructions for delivering the packet to a virtual machine via a port of the MFE, wherein the second trace-observation data set comprises an MFE identifier and a port identifier.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the set of instructions for performing the physical forwarding operation comprises a set of instructions for forwarding the packet to a second MFE, wherein the second MFE generates and sends a third trace-observation data set for the packet to a second network controller.