Optimizing Handling of Virtual Machine Mobility in Data Center Environments

• US 20140250220A1
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kapadia, Shyam, Zhang, Ming, Ramesh, Chengelpet V., Shah, Nilesh
• Granted Patent: US 9,513,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• 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 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04

Abstract

Techniques are provided for sending address information of virtual machines to a physical switch. A migration of a virtual machine to a physical server is detected. The physical server obtains address information of the virtual machine, and upon obtaining the address information of the virtual machine, the physical server sends the address information to a first physical switch that is connected to the physical server.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a migration of a virtual machine to a physical server;

obtaining address information of the virtual machine; and

upon obtaining the address information of the virtual machine, sending the address information to a first physical switch that is connected to the physical server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the address information comprises sending the address information to the first physical switch that is also connected to another physical server from which the virtual machine has migrated to enable the first physical switch to associate the address information with one of its ports to which the physical server is connected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining address information comprises obtaining Internet Protocol version 6 link-local address information and Internet Protocol version 6 global address identifier information of the virtual machine.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the first physical switch sending the address information to a second physical switch.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the second physical switch identifying the location of the virtual machine upon the virtual machine migrating to the physical server.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the second physical switch routing communications between the virtual machine and other virtual machines upon the virtual machine migrating to the physical server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the address information comprises obtaining the address information from a virtual supervisor module that stores address information for virtual machines.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the address information comprises sending the address information using a first-hop protocol message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the address information comprises sending the address information using a protocol specific gratuitous Neighbor Advertisement message from a virtual switch hosted by the physical server.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing the address information between virtual switches via a virtual supervisor module.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface unit configured to enable network communications;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the network interface unit and the memory, and configured to;

detect a migration of a virtual machine to a physical server;

obtain address information of the virtual machine; and

upon obtaining the address information of the virtual machine, send the address information to a first physical switch that is connected to the physical server.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to send the address information to the first physical switch that is also connected to another physical server from which the virtual machine has migrated to enable the first physical switch to associate the address information with one of its ports to which the physical server is connected.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to obtain Internet Protocol version 6 link-local address information and Internet Protocol version 6 global address identifier information of the virtual machine.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to send the address information to a second physical switch, wherein the second physical switch manages physical servers.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to send the address information using a Virtual Station Interface Discovery Protocol.

16. A computer-readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed operable to:

detect a migration of a virtual machine to a physical server;

obtain address information of the virtual machine; and

upon obtaining the address information of the virtual machine, send the address information to a first physical switch that is connected to the physical server.

17. The computer readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the instructions operable to send the address information comprise instructions operable to send the address information to the first physical switch that is also connected to another physical server from which the virtual machine has migrated to enable the first physical switch to associate the address information with one of its ports to which the physical server is connected.

18. The computer readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the instructions operable to obtain the address information comprise instructions operable to obtain Internet Protocol version 6 link-local address information and Internet Protocol version 6 global address identifier information of the virtual machine.

19. The computer readable storage media of claim 16, further comprising instructions operable to send the address information to a second physical switch, wherein the second physical switch manages physical servers.

20. The computer readable storage media of claim 19, further comprising instructions operable to send the address information to the second physical switch to cause the second physical switch to identify a location of the virtual machine upon the virtual machine migrating to the physical server.

21. The computer readable storage media of claim 20, further comprising instructions operable to send the address information to the second physical switch to cause the second physical switch to route communications between the virtual machine and other virtual machines upon the virtual machine migrating to the physical server.

22. The computer readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the instructions operable to send the address information comprise instructions operable to send the address information using a Virtual Station Interface Discovery Protocol.

23. The computer readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the instructions operable to send the address information comprises instructions operable to send the address information using a protocol specific gratuitous Neighbor Advertisement message from the virtual switch.

24. The computer readable storage media of claim 16, further comprising instructions operable to synchronize the address information between virtual switches via a virtual supervisor module.