Tunnel creation

• US 9,319,338 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nicira Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nicira Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Padmanabhan, Amar, Thakkar, Pankaj, Zhang, Ronghua, Koponen, Teemu
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino, Joseph E
• Assistant Examiner(s): McLeod, Marshall
• Application Number:
  US13/756,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20130219078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/50 Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/42 Centralised routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/66 Layer 2 routing, e.g. in Ethernet based MAN's
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/825 Involving tunnels, e.g. MPLS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/254 Centralised controller, i.e. arbitration or scheduling

Abstract

A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program that configures managed forwarding elements to establish tunnels between the managed forwarding elements is described. From a particular managed forwarding element, the program receives information regarding coupling of a network element to the first managed forwarding element. Upon receiving the information, the program generates a set of universal flow entries for configuring another managed forwarding element to establish a tunnel to the particular managed forwarding element.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program which when executed by at least one processing unit configures managed forwarding elements to establish tunnels between the managed forwarding elements, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

from a first managed forwarding element, receiving information regarding coupling of a network element to the first managed forwarding element;

upon receiving the information, generating a set of universal flow entries for configuring a second managed forwarding element to establish a tunnel to the first managed forwarding element and for configuring a third managed forwarding element to establish a tunnel to the first managed forwarding element; and

sending the generated set of universal flow entries to the second managed forwarding element and the third managed forwarding element, wherein the set of universal flow entries are subsequently converted into two different sets of customized flow entries for the second and third managed forwarding elements.

2. The machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein each of the two sets of customized flow entries includes a tunnel port number of a port from which the tunnel to the first managed forwarding element is established, wherein the tunnel port numbers of the two sets of customized flow entries are different.

3. The machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second managed forwarding element establishes a tunnel to the first managed forwarding element, wherein when a fourth managed forwarding element is created in a host in which the second managed forwarding element resides, the second and fourth managed forwarding elements share the established tunnel to the first managed forwarding element.

4. The machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein a controller that manages each of the second and third managed forwarding elements converts the set of universal flow entries to customized flow entries.

5. The machine readable medium of claim 4, wherein the controller instructs the corresponding managed forwarding element to create a network construct and to send properties of the created network construct back to the controller.

6. The machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein the controller customizes the set of universal flow entries based on the properties received from the corresponding managed forwarding element.

7. The machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein the network construct comprises a tunnel port of the corresponding managed forwarding element, wherein the tunnel between the corresponding managed forwarding element and the first managed forwarding element is established from the tunnel port.

8. The machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second and third managed forwarding elements forward data based on the customized flow entries for the second and third managed forwarding elements.

9. The machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the information indicates addition of a port to the first managed forwarding element, wherein the added port is for the coupled network element.

10. The machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein each of the tunnels is for communication between the network element coupled to the first managed forwarding element and another network element that is coupled to the other managed forwarding element.

11. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program which when executed by at least one processing unit configures a first managed forwarding element to establish a tunnel between the first managed forwarding element and a second managed forwarding element, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a set of universal flow entries for configuring the first managed forwarding element to establish a tunnel to the second managed forwarding element, wherein the set of universal flow entries was generated by a controller upon receiving information regarding coupling of a virtual machine to the second managed forwarding element, wherein the set of universal flow entries is received from the controller;

based on the set of universal flow entries, directing the first managed forwarding element to create a network construct on the first managed forwarding element, the network construct for creating the tunnel;

from the first managed forwarding element, receiving information about the network construct created by the first managed forwarding element; and

based on the received information, converting the set of universal flow entries to a set of customized flow entries for the first managed switching element.

12. The machine readable medium of claim 11, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for sending the customized flow entries to the first managed forwarding element, wherein the first managed forwarding element forwards data based on the customized flow entries.

13. The machine readable medium of claim 11, wherein the network construct comprises a tunnel port from which a tunnel to the second managed forwarding element is established.

14. The machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the information comprises a port number of the tunnel port.

15. For a controller for managing a network comprising managed forwarding elements that forward data in the network, a method for configuring managed forwarding elements to establish tunnels between the managed forwarding elements, the method comprising:

from a first managed forwarding element, receiving information regarding coupling of a network element to the first managed forwarding element;

upon receiving the information, generating a set of universal flow entries for configuring a second managed forwarding element to establish a tunnel to the first managed forwarding element and for configuring a third managed forwarding element to establish a tunnel to the first managed forwarding element; and

sending the generated set of universal flow entries to the second managed forwarding element and the third managed forwarding element, wherein the set of universal flow entries are subsequently converted into two different sets of customized flow entries for the second and third managed forwarding elements.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the two sets of customized flow entries includes a tunnel port number of a port from which the tunnel to the first managed forwarding element is established, wherein the tunnel port numbers of the two sets of customized flow entries are different.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the second managed forwarding element establishes a tunnel to the first managed forwarding element, wherein when a fourth managed forwarding element is created in a host in which the second managed forwarding element resides, the second and fourth managed forwarding elements share the established tunnel to the first managed forwarding element.