Troubleshooting virtual network reachability

• US 10,237,142 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2016
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nicira Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nicira Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hong, Xinhua, Zhang, Ronghua, Leroy, David J., Wang, Yong, Yu, Jia
• Primary Examiner(s): Shingles, Kristie D
• Application Number:
  US15/089,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20170288981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors

Abstract

A novel method for troubleshooting a logical network is provided. The logical network has logical forwarding elements operating inside virtual network forwarding engines. The method receives a source identifier and a destination identifier that correspond to nodes in the logical network. The method then retrieves a set of network data from a virtual network forwarding engine and identifies a path in the logical network by traversing the logical network according to the retrieved set of network data. This traversal starts at an initial network node that is identified by the source identifier and continues through a set of next-hop network nodes that are each identified based on the destination identifier. At least some of the network nodes are logical ports associated with logical forwarding elements implemented by the virtual network forwarding engine. The method then reports the set of traversed logical nodes.

Claims

1. A method to emulate a path of a packet through a network, the method comprising:

receiving a source identifier and a destination identifier;

retrieving a set of logical network forwarding data from a computing device that implements a logical network comprising a plurality of logical forwarding elements comprising a plurality of logical ports;

analyzing the set of logical network forwarding data to emulate a path traversed by a packet through a set of network nodes including at least two logical forwarding elements and the associated ports of the two logical forwarding elements,

wherein said traversed path starts at an initial network node that is identified by the source identifier and continues through a set of next-hop network nodes that are each identified based on the destination identifier; and

reporting the set of traversed network nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is an edge gateway of the logical network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a first computing device, wherein a second computing device retrieves the set of logical network forwarding data, identifies the path in the logical network based on the retrieved set of logical network forwarding data, and reports the set of traversed network nodes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device retrieves the set of logical network forwarding data, identifies the path in the logical network based on the retrieved set of logical network forwarding data, and reports the set of traversed network nodes at a display of the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting the set of traversed network nodes comprises reporting a set of logical ports traversed by the emulated path.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of logical network forwarding data comprises a routing table used by a logical forwarding element implemented by the computing device, wherein at least one next-hop logical port in the path is identified by using the routing table to map the destination identifier to a next hop address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of logical network forwarding data comprises a forwarding table used by a logical forwarding element implemented by the computing device, wherein at least one next-hop network node in the path is identified by using the forwarding table for mapping an address to a logical port.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein reporting the set of traversed logical ports comprises presenting the reported set of traversed logical ports at a command line interface (CLI).

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising receiving a selection of a logical port from the reported set of traversed logical ports and reporting a set of information related to the selected logical port.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the set of information is associated with a logical forwarding element that is attached to the selected logical port.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of information comprises at least one of a routing table and a forwarding table used by the logical forwarding element.

12. A computing device comprising:

a set of processing units; and

a non-transitory machine readable medium storing program to emulate a path of a packet through a network, the program comprising sets of instructions for;

receiving troubleshooting request comprising a source identifier and a destination identifier;

retrieving a set of logical network forwarding data from a virtual network forwarding engine that implements a logical network comprising a plurality of logical forwarding elements comprising a plurality of logical ports;

analyzing the set of logical network forwarding data to emulate a path traversed by a packet through a set of network nodes including at least two logical forwarding elements and the associated ports of the two logical forwarding elements,

wherein said traversed path starts at an initial network node that is identified by the source identifier and continues through a set of next-hop network nodes that are each identified based on the destination identifier; and

reporting the set of traversed network nodes.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the set of instructions for reporting comprises a set of instructions for presenting a set of traversed logical ports at a command line interface (CLI).

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the program further comprising a set of instructions for receiving a selection of a logical port from the reported set of traversed logical ports and reporting a set of information related to the selected logical port.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the set of information is associated with a logical forwarding element that is attached to the selected logical port.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the set of information comprises a routing table used by the logical forwarding element.

17. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the set of information comprises a forwarding table used by the logical forwarding element.

18. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the set of instructions for reporting the set of traversed logical ports comprises a set of instructions for reporting a set of packet statistics associated with each logical port, wherein the statistics is based on packet traffic of the logical network handled by the computing device.

19. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the destination identifier is a destination address of a packet.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the computing device receives the packet and forwards the packet in the logical network by operating the plurality of logical forwarding elements.