Chassis controller

• US 10,505,856 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2018
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nicira Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nicira Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thakkar, Pankaj, Koponen, Teemu
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Chirag R
• Assistant Examiner(s): McLeod, Marshall M
• Application Number:
  US15/908,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20180262436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 709220, 709223, 709238
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/50 Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/42 Centralised routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/66 Layer 2 routing, e.g. in Ethernet based MAN's
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/825 Involving tunnels, e.g. MPLS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/254 Centralised controller, i.e. arbitration or scheduling

Abstract

A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program that configures managed forwarding elements to establish tunnels between the managed forwarding elements is described. From a particular managed forwarding element, the program receives information regarding coupling of a network element to the first managed forwarding element. Upon receiving the information, the program generates a set of universal flow entries for configuring another managed forwarding element to establish a tunnel to the particular managed forwarding element.

Claims

1. A method for a controller application executing on a host computer, the method comprising:

receiving data tuples defining first and second logical forwarding elements (LFEs);

based on the received data tuples defining the first LFE, generating data for a managed forwarding element (MFE) that executes on the host computer to implement the first LFE;

based on the received data tuples defining the second LFE, generating data for the MFE to implement the second LFE; and

configuring the MFE with the generated data to implement the first and second LFEs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data tuples defining the first LFE are generated and distributed to the controller application by a first controller computer and the data tuples defining the second LFE are generated and distributed to the controller application by a second controller computer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the host computer is a first host computer and the controller application is a first controller application, wherein the data tuples defining the first LFE are received directly from a third controller computer that manages the first controller application executing on the first host computer and a second controller application executing on a second host computer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the third controller computer receives the data tuples defining the first LFE from the first controller computer and distributes the data tuples defining the first LFE to both of the first and second controller applications executing respectively on the first and second host computers.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the MFE is a first MFE, wherein the second controller application generates data for a second MFE executing on the second host computer to implement the first LFE.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second MFEs exchange data packets when a first end machine that is logically connected to the first LFE and operates on the first host computer communicates with a second end machine that is logically connected to the first LFE and operates on the second host computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the MFE is a first MFE that implements (i) the first LFE for a first logical network in conjunction with a first plurality of other MFEs executing on a first plurality of other host computers and (ii) the second LFE for a second logical network in conjunction with a second plurality of other MFEs executing on a second plurality of other host computers.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first MFE is connected to a first set of end machines that operates on the host computer, wherein the first MFE implements the first LFE for the first logical network to connect the first set of end machines to a plurality of other end machines operating on the first plurality of other host computers.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving updated data from the MFE;

generating additional data for the MFE to implement at least one of the first and second LFEs based on the updated data; and

configuring the MFE with the additional generated data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first LFE belongs to a first logical network of a first tenant of a datacenter while the second LFE belongs to a second logical network of a second tenant of the datacenter.

11. A machine-readable medium storing a controller application for execution by at least one processing unit of a host computer, the controller application comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving data tuples defining first and second logical forwarding elements (LFEs);

based on the received data tuples defining the first LFE, generating data for a managed forwarding element (MFE) that executes on the host computer to implement the first LFE;

based on the received data tuples defining the second LFE, generating data for the MFE to implement the second LFE; and

configuring the MFE with the generated data to implement the first and second LFEs.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the data tuples defining the first LFE are generated and distributed to the controller application by a first controller computer and the data tuples defining the second LFE are generated and distributed to the controller application by a second controller computer.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the host computer is a first host computer and the controller application is a first controller application, wherein the data tuples defining the first LFE are received directly from a third controller computer that manages the first controller application executing on the first host computer and a second controller application executing on a second host computer.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the third controller computer receives the data tuples defining the first LFE from the first controller computer and distributes the data tuples defining the first LFE to both of the first and second controller applications executing respectively on the first and second host computers.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the MFE is a first MFE, wherein the second controller application generates data for a second MFE executing on the second host computer to implement the first LFE.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first and second MFEs exchange data packets when a first end machine that is logically connected to the first LFE and operates on the first host computer communicates with a second end machine that is logically connected to the first LFE and operates on the second host computer.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 11 further, wherein the MFE is a first MFE that implements (i) the first LFE for a first logical network in conjunction with a first plurality of other MFEs executing on a first plurality of other host computers and (ii) the second LFE for a second logical network in conjunction with a second plurality of other MFEs executing on a second plurality of other host computers.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first MFE is connected to a first set of end machines that operates on the host computer, wherein the first MFE implements the first LFE for the first logical network to connect the first set of end machines to the first plurality of other end machines operating on a plurality of other host computers.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the controller application further comprises sets of instructions for:

receiving updated data from the MFE;

generating additional data for the MFE to implement at least one of the first and second LFEs based on the updated data; and

configuring the MFE with the additional generated data.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first LFE belongs to a first logical network of a first tenant of a datacenter while the second LFE belongs to a second logical network of a second tenant of the datacenter.