IN SERVICE UPGRADES FOR A HYPERVISOR OR HARDWARE MANAGER HOSTING VIRTUAL TRAFFIC MANAGERS

• US 20130219030A1
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Szabo, Paul Imre, Skene, Bryan David
• Granted Patent: US 10,091,138 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches

Abstract

Embodiments are directed towards upgrading hypervisors operating in hardware clusters that may be hosting one or more virtual clusters of virtual traffic managers. Virtual clusters may be arranged to span multiple computing devices in the hardware cluster. Spanning the virtual clusters across multiple hardware nodes the virtual cluster may enable the virtual clusters to remain operative while one or more hardware nodes may be upgraded. Hypervisor may include a management control plane for virtual clusters of virtual traffic managers. Hypervisors running on hardware nodes may manage the lower level networking traffic topology while the virtual traffic managers may manage the higher level network processing. Further, hypervisor based management control planes may interface with the virtual clusters and virtual traffic manager'"'"'s using pluggable translation modules may enable different versions of hypervisor based management control planes and virtual traffic managers to communicate and cooperatively manage network traffic.

Claims

1. A method for upgrading at least one hypervisor in a cluster of nodes with a network device that is operative to perform actions, comprising:

determining the at least one hypervisor for upgrading, wherein the at least one hypervisor corresponds to at least one virtual traffic manager for a virtual cluster of virtual traffic managers that span at least two nodes;

deactivating the operation of the at least one determined hypervisor and the at least one corresponding virtual traffic manager while the virtual cluster remains operative;

upgrading the at least one deactivated hypervisor; and

re-activating the at least one upgraded hypervisor and each corresponding virtual traffic manager for the virtual cluster.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein upgrading the at least one hypervisor farther comprises upgrading at least one translation module for the upgraded hypervisor, wherein the at least one translation module maps messages and data structures between different versions of the at least one hypervisor and it'"'"'s corresponding virtual traffic managers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein deactivating the at least one determined hypervisor further comprises:

bleeding off at least one connection to the at least one corresponding virtual traffic manager;

suspending operation of the art least one corresponding virtual traffic manager; and

suspending operation of the at least one determined hypervisor.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising;

receiving network traffic at the hypervisor;

processing at least a portion of low level network traffic on the hypervisor; and

forwarding at least a portion of high level network traffic to at least one virtual traffic manager that corresponds to the at least one hypervisor; and

processing the at least portion of the high level network traffic on the at least one virtual traffic manager that corresponds to the at least one hypervisor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least one hypervisor for upgrading further comprises:

generating an upgrade priority score for the at least one hypervisor; and

determining the at least one hypervisor for upgrading based on the upgrade priority score.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one upgraded hypervisor communicates with at least one command hypervisor to obtain configuration information.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing the actions of claim 1 for each other hypervisor in the cluster of nodes.

8. A network device that is operative to upgrade at least one hypervisor in a cluster of nodes comprising:

a transceiver that is operative to communicate over a network;

a memory that is operative to store at least instructions; and

a processor device that is operative to execute instructions that enable actions, including;

determining the at least one hypervisor for upgrading, wherein the at least one hypervisor corresponds to at least one virtual traffic manager for a virtual cluster of virtual traffic managers that span at least two nodes;

deactivating the operation of the at least one determined hypervisor and the at least one corresponding virtual traffic manager while the virtual cluster remains operative;

upgrading the at least one deactivated hypervisor; and

re-activating the at least one upgraded hypervisor and each corresponding virtual traffic manager for the virtual cluster.

9. The network device of claim 8, wherein upgrading the at least one hypervisor further comprises upgrading at least one translation module for the upgraded hypervisor, Wherein the at least one translation module maps messages and data structures between different versions of the at least one hypervisor and its corresponding virtual traffic managers.

10. The network device of claim 8, wherein deactivating the at least one determined hypervisor further comprises:

bleeding off at least one connection to the at least one corresponding virtual traffic manager;

suspending operation of the at least one corresponding virtual traffic manager; and

suspending operation of the at least one determined hypervisor.

11. The network device of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving network traffic at the hypervisor;

processing at least a portion of low level network traffic on the hypervisor; and

forwarding at least a portion of high level network traffic to at least one virtual traffic manager that corresponds to the at least one hypervisor; and

processing the at least portion of the high level network traffic on the at least one virtual traffic manager that corresponds to the at least one hypervisor.

12. The network device of claim 8, wherein determining at least one hypervisor for upgrading further comprises:

generating an upgrade priority score for the at least one hypervisor; and

determining the at least one hypervisor for upgrading based on the upgrade priority score.

13. The network device of claim 8, wherein the at least one upgraded hypervisor communicates with at least one command hypervisor to obtain configuration information.

14. The network device of claim 8, further comprises performing the actions of claim 8 for each other hypervisor in the cluster of nodes.

15. A processor readable non transitive storage media that includes instructions for upgrading at least one hypervisor in a cluster of nodes, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor device enables actions, comprising:

determining the at least one hypervisor for upgrading, wherein the at least one hypervisor corresponds to at least one virtual traffic manager for a virtual cluster of virtual traffic managers that span at least two nodes;

deactivating the operation of the at least one determined hypervisor and the at least one corresponding virtual traffic manager while the virtual cluster remains operative;

upgrading the at least one deactivated hypervisor; and

re-activating the at least one upgraded hypervisor and each corresponding virtual traffic manager for the virtual cluster.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein upgrading the at least one hypervisor further comprises upgrading at least one translation module for the upgraded hypervisor, wherein the at least one translation module maps messages and data structures between different versions of the at least one hypervisor and it'"'"'s corresponding virtual traffic managers.

17. The media of claim 15, wherein deactivating the at least one determined hypervisor further comprises:

bleeding off at least one connection to the at least one corresponding virtual traffic manager;

suspending operation of the at least one corresponding virtual traffic manager; and

suspending operation of the at least one determined hypervisor.

18. The media of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving network traffic at the hypervisor;

processing at least a portion of low level network traffic on the hypervisor; and

forwarding at least a portion of high level network traffic to at least one virtual traffic manager that corresponds to the at least one hypervisor; and

processing the at least portion of the high level network traffic on the at least one virtual traffic manager that corresponds to the at least one hypervisor.

19. The media of claim 15, wherein determining at least one hypervisor for upgrading further comprises:

generating an upgrade priority score for the at least one hypervisor; and

determining the at least one hypervisor for upgrading based on the upgrade priority score.

20. The media of claim 15, wherein the at least one upgraded hypervisor communicates with at least one command hypervisor to obtain configuration information.

21. The media of claim 15, further comprising performing the actions of claim 15 for each other hypervisor in the cluster of nodes.