Service node selection by an inline service switch
First Claim
1. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program for sending data messages originating at a source compute node (SCN) to a group of service nodes (SNs), the SCN and the program for execution by at least one processor of a host computer, the program comprising sets of instructions for:
- on the egress datapath of the SCN along which data messages originating at the SCN are sent out of the host computer, identifying a data message originating at and transmitted by the SCN and determining whether a service action has to be performed on the data message;
when a service action has to be performed on the data message, identifying a particular SN in the SN group that should receive the data message, said SN group comprising a plurality of SNs for performing the same service action and connected to the host computer by a tunnel;
from a plurality of tunnels between the host computer and the plurality of SNs, identifying a tunnel connecting the host computer to the identified particular SN; and
sending the data message to the particular SN along the identified tunnel that connects the host computer with the particular SN.
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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.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program for sending data messages originating at a source compute node (SCN) to a group of service nodes (SNs), the SCN and the program for execution by at least one processor of a host computer, the program comprising sets of instructions for:
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on the egress datapath of the SCN along which data messages originating at the SCN are sent out of the host computer, identifying a data message originating at and transmitted by the SCN and determining whether a service action has to be performed on the data message; when a service action has to be performed on the data message, identifying a particular SN in the SN group that should receive the data message, said SN group comprising a plurality of SNs for performing the same service action and connected to the host computer by a tunnel; from a plurality of tunnels between the host computer and the plurality of SNs, identifying a tunnel connecting the host computer to the identified particular SN; and sending the data message to the particular SN along the identified tunnel that connects the host computer with the particular SN. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 26, 27)
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20. A method for sending data messages originating at a source compute node (SCN) executing on a host computer to a group of service node (SN) clusters, the method comprising:
on the egress datapath of the SCN along which data messages originating at the SCN are sent out of the host computer; identifying a data message originating at and transmitted by the SCN and determining whether a service action has to be performed on the data message; when a service action has to be performed on the data message, identifying a particular SN cluster in the SN duster group that should receive the data message, said SN cluster group comprising a plurality of SN clusters that each include one or more SNs for performing the game service action and connected to the host computer by a tunnel; from a plurality of tunnels between the host computer and the plurality of SN clusters, identifying a tunnel connecting the host computer to the particular SN cluster; and sending the data message to the particular SN cluster along the identified tunnel connecting the host computer with the particular SN cluster. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for sending data messages originating at a source compute node (SCN) executing on a host computer to a group of service nodes (SNs), the method comprising:
on the egress datapath of the SCN along which data messages originating at the SCN are sent out of the host computer; identifying a data message originating at and transmitted by the SCN and determining whether a service action has to be performed on the data message; when a service action has to be performed on the data message, identifying a particular SN in the SN group that should receive the data message, said SN group comprising a plurality of SNs for performing the same service action and connected to the host computer by a tunnel; from a plurality of tunnels between the host computer and the plurality of SNs, identifying a tunnel connecting the host computer to the particular SN; and sending the data message to the particular SN along the identified tunnel connecting the host computer with the particular SN.
Specification