SCALABLE MULTI-TENANT NETWORK ARCHITECTURE FOR VIRTUALIZED DATACENTERS

• US 20140115584A1
• Filed: 06/07/2011
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Mudigonda, Jayaram, Fischer, Anna, Yalagandula, Parveen, Mogul, Jeffrey Clifford, Stiekes, Bryan
• Granted Patent: US 9,304,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• 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 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A scalable, multi-tenant network architecture for a virtualized datacenter is provided. The network architecture includes a network having a plurality of servers connected to a plurality of switches. The plurality of servers hosts a plurality of virtual interfaces for a plurality of tenants. A configuration repository is connected to the network and each server in the plurality of servers has a network agent hosted therein. The network agent encapsulates packets for transmission across the network from a source virtual interface to a destination virtual interface in the plurality of virtual interfaces for a tenant in the plurality of tenants. The packets are encapsulated with information identifying and locating the destination virtual interface, and the information is interpreted by switches connected to the source virtual interface and the destination virtual interface.

Claims

1. A scalable, multi-tenant network architecture for a virtualized datacenter, the network architecture comprising:

a network comprising a plurality of servers connected to a plurality of switches, the plurality of servers hosting a plurality of virtual interfaces for a plurality of tenants;

a configuration repository connected to the network; and

a network agent in each server in the plurality of servers to encapsulate packets for transmission across the network from a source virtual interface to a destination virtual interface in the plurality of virtual interfaces for a tenant in the plurality of tenants, the packets encapsulated with information identifying and locating the destination virtual interface, the information interpreted by switches connected to the source virtual interface and the destination virtual interface.

2. The scalable, multi-tenant network architecture of claim 1, wherein the plurality of virtual interfaces are in a plurality of virtual machines hosted by the plurality of servers.

3. The scalable, multi-tenant network architecture of claim 1, wherein the configuration repository stores VLAN information for each pair of switches in the plurality of switches.

4. The scalable, multi-tenant network architecture of claim 1, wherein the network agent comprises a configuration module to:

assign an IP address to the each server based on a port number of a switch connected to the each server; and

associate a plurality of virtual interfaces with an IP address based on a tenant ID for a tenant associated with the plurality of virtual interfaces and the port number of the switch connected to the each server.

5. The scalable, multi-tenant network architecture of claim 1, wherein the network agent comprises a network address resolution module to gather and maintain information required for transmitting packets across the network, the information stored in one or more network address tables.

6. The scalable, multi-tenant network architecture of claim 5, wherein the one or more network address tables comprise:

a first network address table storing a tenant ID, an IP address and a MAC address for each virtual interface; and

a second network address table uniquely identifying each virtual interface by the tenant ID, a MAC address space ID associated with the each virtual interface, and the MAC address for the each virtual interface, and locating each virtual interface in the network with a MAC address and a port number of a switch connected to the each virtual interface.

7. The scalable, multi-tenant network architecture of claim 6, wherein the network agent comprises a packet forwarding module to:

identify the destination virtual interface with a tenant ID, a destination MAC address space ID, and a destination MAC address;

look-up network location information for the destination virtual interface in the second network address table;

select a VLAN path for forwarding a packet to the destination virtual interface, the VLAN path specified in the configuration repository; and

forward the packet to the destination virtual interface after encapsulating the packet.

8. The scalable, multi-tenant network architecture of claim 7, wherein the network agent comprises a packet encapsulation module to encapsulate the packet with an IP header containing the IP address for the destination virtual interface and with an Ethernet header containing a MAC address for a source switch connected to a source virtual interface, a MAC address for a destination switch connected to the destination virtual interface, and a VLAN tag specifying the VLAN path between the source switch and the destination switch.

9. The scalable, multi-tenant network architecture of claim 8, wherein the destination switch decapsulates the Ethernet header and inserts a header specifying the MAC address of the destination switch as a source MAC address and a MAC address for a server hosting the destination virtual interface as a destination MAC address.

10. The scalable, multi-tenant network architecture of claim 9, wherein the network agent in the server hosting the destination virtual interface comprises a packet reception module to receive a packet from the destination switch, decapsulate the packet, and deliver the packet to the destination virtual interface.

11. The scalable, multi-tenant network architecture of claim 1, wherein each tenant in the plurality of tenants forms one or more MAC address spaces.

12. A network agent for use in a scalable, multi-tenant network in a virtualized datacenter, the network agent comprising:

a configuration module to configure a server hosting the network agent and a plurality of virtual interfaces in the server, each virtual interface associated with a tenant in a plurality of tenants;

a network address resolution module to gather and maintain information required for transmitting packets across the network; and

a packet encapsulation module to encapsulate each packet prior to its transmission with information that uniquely identifies and locates a destination virtual interface in the network based on the tenant associated with the destination virtual interface and a switch connected to the destination virtual interface.

13. The network agent of claim 12, wherein the configuration module comprises executable instructions to:

assign an IP address to the server based on a port number of a switch connected to the server; and

associate the plurality of virtual interfaces with an IP address based on a tenant ID for a tenant associated with the plurality of virtual interfaces and the port number of the switch connected to the each server.

14. The network agent of claim 12, wherein the network address resolution module broadcasts a message to all network agents in the network when a virtual interface is started in the server.

15. The network agent of claim 14, wherein the message comprises information that uniquely identifies and locates the virtual interface in the network.

16. The network agent of claim 15, wherein the information comprises a tenant ID for a tenant associated with the virtual interface, a MAC address space ID associated the virtual interface, a MAC address for the virtual interface, and a port number and a MAC address for a switch connected to the virtual interface.

17. The network agent of claim 12, wherein the network address resolution module stores:

a first network address table storing a tenant ID, an IP address and a MAC address for each virtual interface; and

a second network address table uniquely identifying each virtual interface by the tenant ID, a MAC address space ID associated with the each virtual interface, and the MAC address for the each virtual interface, and locating each virtual interface in the network with a MAC address and a port number of a switch connected to the each virtual interface.

18. The network agent of claim 12, wherein the packet encapsulation module encapsulates each packet with an IP header containing an IP address for the destination virtual interface, and with an Ethernet header containing a MAC address for a source switch connected to a source virtual interface, a MAC address for a destination switch connected to the destination virtual interface, and a VLAN tag specifying the VLAN path between the source switch and the destination switch.

19. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions to:

identify a source virtual interface in a scalable, multi-tenant network in a virtualized datacenter with a tenant ID, a source MAC address space ID, and a source MAC address;

identify a destination virtual interface in the network with the tenant ID, a destination MAC address space ID, and a destination MAC address;

look-up network location information for the destination virtual interface in a network address table; and

encapsulate the packet for transmission across the network with information identifying and locating the destination virtual interface, the information interpreted by edge switches connected to the source virtual interface and the destination virtual interface in the network.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the network address table is stored in a plurality of servers in the network.