Multiple active L3 gateways for logical networks

• US 10,389,634 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2018
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nicira Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nicira Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thakkar, Pankaj, Jackson, Ethan J., Basler, Benjamin C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Brian D
• Application Number:
  US16/011,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20180302326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/44 Distributed routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/7453 using hashing

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method for a network controller in a network control system that manages a plurality of logical networks. The method receives a specification of a logical network that comprises a logical router with a logical port that connects to an external network. The method selects several host machines to host a L3 gateway that implements the connection to the external network for the logical router from a set of host machines designated for hosting logical routers. The method generates data tuples for provisioning a set of managed forwarding elements that implement the logical network to send data packets that require processing by the L3 gateway to the selected host machines. The data tuples specify for the managed forwarding elements to distribute the data packets across the selected host machines.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine readable medium for storing a network controller program that when executed by a set of processing units of a computer manages a plurality of logical networks, the network controller program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a specification of a logical network that comprises a logical router;

selecting a plurality of host machines to host an L3 gateway that implements a connection to an external network for the logical router, the plurality of host machines selected from a set of host machines designated for hosting logical routers; and

generating data tuples for provisioning a set of managed forwarding elements that implement the logical network to send data packets that require processing by the L3 gateway to the plurality of selected host machines, wherein the data tuples specify for the managed forwarding elements to distribute the data packets across the plurality of selected host machines in a load balanced manner.

2. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data tuples specify a list of the plurality of host machines and an algorithm for the managed forwarding elements to select one of the plurality of host machines as a destination for a particular data packet.

3. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 2, wherein the algorithm comprises a hash function that calculates a hash value using characteristics of the particular data packet and a technique to map the calculated hash value to one of the plurality of host machines.

4. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 3, wherein the hash function uses a source IP address and a destination IP address as inputs.

5. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 3, wherein the technique comprises computing the hash value modulo a number of host machines in the plurality of host machines.

6. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 3, wherein the technique comprises using a consistent hashing algorithm to select one of the host machines.

7. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 3, wherein the technique comprises using a highest random weight algorithm to select one of the host machines.

8. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data tuples comprise flow entries that specify tunnel encapsulations for tunneling the data packets to the selected host machines.

9. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the logical network comprises at least two logical switches attached to first and second ports of the logical router, wherein the logical router comprises a third port for connecting to the external network.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the network controller program further comprises a set of instructions for generating data tuples for provisioning the L3 gateway.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein the network controller program further comprises sets of instructions for:

distributing the generated data tuples for provisioning the L3 gateway to the selected host machines; and

distributing the generated data tuples for provisioning the set of managed forwarding elements to the set of managed forwarding elements.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11, wherein the set of instructions for distributing the generated data tuples for the L3 gateway to the selected host machines comprises sets of instructions for:

identifying, for each of the selected host machines, a network controller that manages the selected host machine; and

distributing the generated data tuples for provisioning the L3 gateway to the identified network controllers for subsequent distribution to the selected host machines.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein the network controller program further comprises a set of instructions for generating data tuples for provisioning managed forwarding elements that implement the logical network at the selected host machines.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein the network controller program further comprises sets of instructions for:

distributing the generated data tuples for provisioning the L3 gateway to the selected host machines using a first protocol; and

distributing the generated data tuples for provisioning the managed forwarding elements at the selected host machines to the selected host machines using a second protocol different than the first protocol.

15. A non-transitory machine readable medium for storing a managed forwarding element that when executed by a set of processing units of a host machine implements a logical router of a logical network, the set of processing units of the host machine also executing a virtual machine of the logical network, the managed forwarding element comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a packet from the virtual machine;

determining that the packet requires processing by a L3 gateway;

calculating a value based on a specified set of packet characteristics of the received packet; and

selecting one of a plurality of gateway host machines as a destination for the packet based on the calculated value, the plurality of gateway host machines implementing a L3 gateway that implements a connection of the logical router to an external network.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the set of instructions for determining that the packet requires processing by the L3 gateway comprises sets of instructions for:

performing a logical switching operation to forward the packet to a logical egress port of a logical switch that interfaces with the logical router; and

performing a logical routing operation to forward the packet to a logical egress port of the logical router that interfaces with the external network.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the managed forwarding element further comprises a set of instructions for encapsulating the packet in a tunnel between the managed forwarding element and a second managed forwarding element that operates on the selected gateway host machine.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the managed forwarding element further comprises a set of instructions for sending the encapsulated packet to the selected gateway host machine.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the set of instructions for calculating the value comprises a set of instructions for calculating a hash function that takes a source IP address, destination IP address, source transport port number, destination transport port number, and transport protocol of the packet as inputs.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein a technique used to calculate the value and match the calculated value to one of the plurality of gateway host machines matches all packets for a same transport connection to the same gateway host machines.

21. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 20, wherein the technique matches connections to each of the plurality of gateway host machines with an equal frequency.