Network virtualization over infiniband

• US 9,083,550 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2012
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Cohen, Ariel, Krishnamurthi, Ashok
• Primary Examiner(s): Joo, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US13/663,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20140122675A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• 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 41/0803 Configuration setting

Abstract

Mechanisms are provided to allow servers connected over an InfiniBand fabric to communicate using multiple private virtual interconnects (PVIs). In particular embodiments, the PVIs appear as virtual Ethernet networks to users on individual servers and virtual machines running on the individual servers. Each PVI is represented on the server by a virtual network interface card (VNIC) and each PVI is mapped to its own InfiniBand multicast group. Data can be transmitted on PVIs as Ethernet packets fully encapsulated, including the layer 2 header, within InfiniBand messages. Broadcast and multicast frames are propagated using InfiniBand.

Claims

1. A method for creating a virtual network, the method comprising:

converting a virtual network identifier to an InfiniBand multicast group identifier at a first server;

sending an InfiniBand multicast message over an InfiniBand fabric, the InfiniBand fabric including the first server, a second server, and a third server, wherein communications between the first server, the second server, and the third server comprise Ethernet packets encapsulated for transmission over the InfiniBand fabric, wherein a network entity receives the InfiniBand multicast message and determines whether the first server is a first member of a multicast group corresponding to a virtual network and adds a port to a multicast group;

creating a virtual network interface card (VNIC) corresponding to the virtual network identifier for each of the first server, second server, and third server; and

creating a Private Virtual Interconnect (PVI) between two or more of the first server, second server, or third server using the VNIC, the PVI comprising a virtual Ethernet network corresponding to the virtual network identifier, wherein the two or more of the first, second, and third servers of the virtual Ethernet network communicate via the PVI using Ethernet packets encapsulated within InfiniBand messages.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the InfiniBand multicast message is associated with an InfiniBand multicast join operation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network entity is a subnet manager.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein if the first server is the first member of the multicast group, the subnet manager creates the multicast group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the multicast group corresponds to the virtual network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the virtual network identifier to the InfiniBand multicast group comprises performing bit modification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the VNIC is created by a driver on the first server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second server is a network appliance.

9. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with and readable by the processor and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to create a virtual network by;

converting a virtual network identifier to an InfiniBand multicast group identifier at a first server;

sending an InfiniBand multicast message over an InfiniBand fabric, the InfiniBand fabric including the first server, a second server, and a third server, wherein communications between the first server, the second server, and the third server comprise Ethernet packets encapsulated for transmission over the InfiniBand fabric, wherein a network entity receives the InfiniBand multicast message and determines whether the first server is a first member of a multicast group corresponding to a virtual network and adds a port to a multicast group;

creating a virtual network interface card (VNIC) corresponding to the virtual network identifier for each of the first server, second server, and third server; and

creating a Private Virtual Interconnect (PVI) between two or more of the first server, second server, or third server using the VNIC, the PVI comprising a virtual Ethernet network corresponding to the virtual network identifier, wherein the two or more of the first, second, and third servers of the virtual Ethernet network communicate via the PVI using Ethernet packets encapsulated within InfiniBand messages.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the InfiniBand multicast message is associated with an InfiniBand multicast join operation.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the network entity is a subnet manager.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein if the first server is the first member of the multicast group, the subnet manager creates the multicast group.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the multicast group corresponds to a virtual network.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein converting the virtual network identifier to the InfiniBand multicast group comprises performing bit modification.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the VNIC is created by a driver on the first server.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the second server is a network appliance.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions stored therein which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to create a virtual network by:

converting a virtual network identifier to an InfiniBand multicast group identifier at a first server;

sending an InfiniBand multicast message over an InfiniBand fabric, the InfiniBand fabric including the first server, a second server, and a third server, wherein communications between the first server, the second server, and the third server comprise Ethernet packets encapsulated for transmission over the InfiniBand fabric, wherein a network entity receives the InfiniBand multicast message and determines whether the first server is a first member of a multicast group corresponding to a virtual network and adds a port to a multicast group;

creating a virtual network interface card (VNIC) corresponding to the virtual network identifier for each of the first server, second server, and third server; and

creating a Private Virtual Interconnect (PVI) between two or more of the first server, second server, or third server using the VNIC, the PVI comprising a virtual Ethernet network corresponding to the virtual network identifier, wherein the two or more of the first, second, and third servers of the virtual Ethernet network communicate via the PVI using Ethernet packets encapsulated within InfiniBand messages.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the InfiniBand multicast message is associated with an InfiniBand multicast join operation.