Virtual switch

• US 20080002683A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Nordmark, Erik, Droux, Nicolas G., Tripathi, Sunay
• Granted Patent: US 7,643,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields

Abstract

A system including a plurality of virtual network interface cards (VNICs); and a Vswitch table associated with a virtual switch, wherein each entry in the Vswitch table is associated with one of the plurality of VNICs, wherein each of the plurality of VNICs is located on the host, and wherein each of the plurality of VNICs is associated with the virtual switch. The first VNIC in the plurality of VNICs is configured to receive a packet associated with a hardware address (HA), determine, using the HA, whether one of the plurality of entries in the Vswitch table is associated with the HA, send the packet to a VNIC associated with HA if one of the plurality of entries in the Vswitch table is associated with the HA, wherein the VNIC is one of the plurality of VNICs.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first plurality of virtual network interface cards (VNICs); and

a first Vswitch table associated with a first virtual switch, wherein each entry in the first Vswitch table is associated with one of the first plurality of VNICs, wherein each of the first plurality of VNICs is located on the host, and wherein each of the first plurality of VNICs is associated with the first virtual switch,

wherein a first VNIC in the first plurality of VNICs is configured to;

receive a first packet associated with a first hardware address (HA);

determine, using the first HA, whether one of the plurality of entries in the first Vswitch table is associated with the first HA;

send the first packet to a VNIC associated with first HA if one of the plurality of entries in the first Vswitch table is associated with the first HA, wherein the VNIC is one of the first plurality of VNICs; and

drop the first packet if none of the plurality of entries listed in the first Vswitch table is associated with the first HA.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a physical network interface card (NIC) operatively connected to a host, wherein the physical NIC is interposed between a network and the host; and

a second VNIC operatively connected to the physical NIC, wherein the second VNIC is not associated with the virtual switch.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second plurality of VNICs; and

a second Vswitch table associated with a second virtual switch, wherein each entry in the second Vswitch table is associated with one of the second plurality of VNICs, wherein each of the second plurality of VNICs is located on the host, and wherein each of the second plurality of VNICs is associated with the second virtual switch;

wherein a first VNIC in the second plurality of VNICs is configured to;

receive a second packet, wherein the second packet is associated with a second hardware address (HA);

determine, using the second HA, whether one of the plurality of entries in the second Vswitch table is associated with the second HA;

send the second packet to a VNIC associated with second HA if one of the plurality of entries in the second Vswitch table is associated with the second HA, wherein the VNIC is one of the second plurality of VNICs; and

drop the second packet if none of the plurality of entries listed in the second Vswitch table is associated with the second HA

wherein the first plurality of VNICs and the second plurality of VNICs are mutually exclusive.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first packet is issued by a virtual machine.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware address is a Media Access Control (MAC) address.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first Vswitch table and each of the first plurality of VNICs are located in a MAC layer of the host.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the VNIC associated with first HA is associated with a virtual network stack.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the VNIC associated with first HA is associated with an interface to a virtual machine.

9. A method of sending a packet, comprising:

receiving the packet by a first virtual network interface card (NIC), wherein the VNIC is associated with a virtual switch;

determining, using the HA, whether one of the plurality of entries in a Vswitch table is associated with the HA;

sending the packet to a second VNIC, if one of the plurality of entries in the Vswitch table is associated with the HA and the second VNIC is associated with the HA; and

dropping the packet if none of the plurality of entries listed in the Vswitch table is associated with the HA,

wherein the Vswitch is associated with the virtual switch,

wherein each entry in the Vswitch table is associated with one of a plurality of VNICs,

wherein each of the plurality of VNICs is located on a host, and

wherein each of the plurality of VNICs is associated with the virtual switch.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the VNIC associated with first HA is associated with a virtual network stack.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the VNIC associated with first HA is associated with an interface to a virtual machine.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the hardware address is a Media Access Control (MAC) address.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the packet is issued by a virtual machine.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the Vswitch table and each of the first plurality of VNICs are located in a MAC layer of the host.

15. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions to perform method for sending a packet, the method comprising:

receiving the packet by a first virtual network interface card (NIC), wherein the VNIC is associated with a virtual switch;

determining, using the HA, whether one of the plurality of entries in a Vswitch table is associated with the HA;

sending the packet to a second VNIC, if one of the plurality of entries in the Vswitch table is associated with the HA and the second VNIC is associated with the HA; and

dropping the packet if none of the plurality of entries listed in the Vswitch table is associated with the HA,

wherein the Vswitch is associated with the virtual switch,

wherein each entry in the Vswitch table is associated with one of a plurality of VNICs,

wherein each of the plurality of VNICs is located on a host, and

wherein each of the plurality of VNICs is associated with the virtual switch.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the VNIC associated with first HA is associated with a virtual network stack.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the VNIC associated with first HA is associated with an interface to a virtual machine.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the hardware address is a Media Access Control (MAC) address.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the packet is issued by a virtual machine.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the Vswitch table and each of the first plurality of VNICs are located in a MAC layer of the host.