Distributed virtual switch configuration and state management

• US 10,728,179 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2015
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baphna, Mukesh, Su, Chi-Hsiang, Kothari, Piyush, Kakarlapudi, Geetha
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Sm A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang, Chen-Liang
• Application Number:
  US14/971,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20160105381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,686 Days
• Field of Search: 718 1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/30 Peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for pushing configuration changes of a distributed virtual switch from a management server to a plurality of host servers underlying the distributed virtual switch. The approach includes sending, in parallel, by the management server, a message to each of the plurality of host servers. The message specifies a final configuration state for one or more virtual ports emulated via virtualization layers of the host servers. The approach further includes determining, by each of the plurality of host servers, port state configuration changes to make to the virtual ports to achieve the final configuration state, and reconfiguring, by each of the plurality of host servers, their respective virtual ports, to match the final configuration state.

Claims

1. A method for updating a management server with runtime state data of a virtual port of a virtual switch, wherein the virtual port is emulated via a virtualization layer of a host server of a plurality of host servers, and further wherein the virtual port is connected to a virtual machine running on the host server, the method comprising:

monitoring, by the host server, a first port state and a second port state of the virtual port, wherein the first port state changes less frequently than the second port state changes; and

in response to detecting a change in the first port state, transmitting data for the first port state to the management server; and

in response to detecting that the second port state has stopped changing, transmitting data for the second port state to the management server, wherein the detecting that the second port state has stopped changing includes determining that the virtual port is in a linked down state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting data for the first port state occurs in response to identifying a predefined state change event for the monitored first port state.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first port state is one of a virtual local area network (VLAN) or a mirroring assignment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting data for the second port state occurs in response to identifying that the second port state has stopped changing.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second port state is a counter that measures network performance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data for the first port state is transmitted to the management server via a network transport component that supports asynchronous input/output (I/O).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the management server fetches the data for (a) the first port state in response to a notification provided upon identification of a predefined state change event or (b) the second port state in response to a notification provided upon identification that the second port state has slopped changing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein

the virtual switch is a distributed virtual switch that includes components on the plurality of host servers in communication with the management server;

and

monitoring of port states and transmitting of port state data are performed by each of the plurality of host servers for corresponding virtual ports.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by a second host server, a second port state of a second virtual port that is emulated via a second virtualization layer of the second host server; and

transmitting data for the monitored second port state of the second virtual port to the management server.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein:

data for the first port state is transmitted to the management server in response to detecting the change in the first port state instead of in response to detecting that the first port state has stopped changing, based on the first port state changing less frequently than the second port state changes; and

data for the second port state is transmitted to the management server in response to detecting that the second port state has stopped changing instead of in response to detecting a change in the second port state, based on the first port state changing less frequently than the second port state changes.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions configured for updating a management server with runtime state data of a virtual port of a virtual switch, wherein the virtual port is emulated via a virtualization layer of a host server of a plurality of host servers, and further wherein the virtual port is connected to a virtual machine running on the host server, the instructions further configured for:

monitoring, by the host server, a first port state and a second port state of the virtual port, wherein the first port state changes less frequently than the second port state changes; and

in response to detecting a change in the first port state, transmitting data for the first port state to the management server; and

in response to detecting that the second port state has stopped changing, transmitting data for the second port state to the management server, wherein the detecting that the second port state has stopped changing includes determining that the virtual port is in a linked down state.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the transmitting data for the first port state occurs in response to identifying a predefined state change event for the monitored first port state.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the first port state is one of a virtual local area network (VLAN) or a mirroring assignment.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the transmitting data for the second port state occurs in response to identifying that the second port state has stopped changing.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the second port state is a counter that measures network performance.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein updating the management server includes pushing port state data to the management server via a network transport component that supports asynchronous input/output (I/O).

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the management server fetches the data for (a) the first port state in response to a notification provided upon identification of a predefined state change event or (b) the second port state in response to a notification provided upon identification that the second port state has stopped changing.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein:

the virtual switch is a distributed virtual switch that includes components on the plurality of host servers in communication with the management server; and

monitoring of port states and transmitting of port state data are performed by each of the plurality of host servers for corresponding virtual ports.

17. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing one or more applications, which, when executed on the processor, perform operations for updating a management server with runtime state data of a virtual port of a virtual switch, wherein the virtual port is emulated via a virtualization layer of a host server of a plurality of host servers, and further wherein the virtual port is connected to a virtual machine running on the host server, the operations comprising;

monitoring, by the host server, a first port state and a second port state of the virtual port, wherein the first port state changes less frequently than the second port state changes; and

in response to detecting a change in the first port state, transmitting data for the first port state to the management server; and

in response to detecting that the second port state has stopped changing, transmitting data for the second port state to the management server, wherein the detecting that the second port state has stopped changing includes determining that the virtual port is in a linked down state.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein either:

the first port state is one of a virtual local area network (VLAN) or a mirroring assignment and the transmitting data for the second port state occurs in response to identifying a predefined state change event for the first port state, or

the second port state is a counter that measures network performance and the transmitting occurs in response to identifying that the second port state has stopped changing.