Ranking of Gateways in Cluster

• US 20180006880A1
• Filed: 06/29/2016
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nicira Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nicira Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shakimov, Amre, Ganichev, Igor, Thakkar, Pankaj, Atteka, Ansis
• Granted Patent: US 10,560,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0661 by reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method for managing a set of forwarding elements. The method receives configuration information for a set of gateways specifying (i) multiple gateways for implementing logical router ports and (ii) a ranking order of the gateways in the set. The method configures a first gateway in the ranking order as a master gateway for the set of gateways. Upon receiving a first notification that the first gateway is not operational, the method configures a second gateway in the ranking order as the master gateway for the set of gateways. Upon receiving a second, subsequent notification that the first gateway has resumed operation, the method maintains the second gateway in the ranking order as the master gateway for the set of gateways and configures the first gateway in the ranking order as a first standby gateway.

Claims

1. A method for managing a set of forwarding elements, the method comprising:

receiving configuration information for a set of gateways specifying (i) a plurality of gateways for implementing logical router ports and (ii) a ranking order of the gateways in the set;

configuring a first gateway in the ranking order as a master gateway for the set of gateways;

upon receiving a first notification that the first gateway is not operational, configuring a second gateway in the ranking order as the master gateway for the set of gateways; and

upon receiving a second, subsequent notification that the first gateway has resumed operation, maintaining the second gateway in the ranking order as the master gateway for the set of gateways and configuring the first gateway in the ranking order as a first standby gateway.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of gateways implement a particular logical port of a logical router.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the logical router belongs to a logical network comprising a plurality of logical switches that connect to the logical router through logical ports other than the particular logical port, wherein the particular logical port is an uplink port through which traffic sent to and received from a network external to the logical network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the uplink port logically connects to another logical router.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the uplink port logically connects to a set of physical routers external to the logical network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of gateways implement logical ports of multiple logical routers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the first gateway as a master gateway comprises defining a first ordered list that specifies, in order, (i) the first gateway, (ii) the second gateway, and (ii) a third gateway.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second and third gateways operate as first and second standby gateways when the first gateway is the master.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein configuring the second gateway in the ranking order as the master gateway comprises defining a second ordered list that specifies, in order, (i) the second gateway and (ii) at least the third gateway, and does not include the first gateway.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein maintaining the second gateway in the ranking order as the master gateway and configuring the first gateway as the first standby gateway comprises defining a third ordered list that specifies, in order, (i) the second gateway, (ii) the first gateway, and (iii) at least the third gateway.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a centralized controller, wherein configuring a particular gateway comprises communicating an ordered list of the gateways to local controllers that manage each of the gateways.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the ordered list is further communicated to local controllers that manage other forwarding elements that forward data traffic to the gateways.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a particular local controller receives the ordered list and configures its corresponding forwarding element to forward packets, for a particular logical port implemented by the gateways, based on the ordered list.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the packets are forwarded according to a bundle flow that specifies the first gateway in the list as a first choice and the second gateway in the list as a next choice to use only if the first gateway in the list is unavailable.

15. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program which when executed by at least one processing unit manages a set of forwarding elements, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving configuration information for a set of gateways specifying (i) a plurality of gateways for implementing logical router ports and (ii) a ranking order of the gateways in the set;

configuring a first gateway in the ranking order as a master gateway for the set of gateways;

upon receiving a first notification that the first gateway is not operational, configuring a second gateway in the ranking order as the master gateway for the set of gateways; and

upon receiving a second, subsequent notification that the first gateway has resumed operation, maintaining the second gateway in the ranking order as the master gateway for the set of gateways and configuring the first gateway in the ranking order as a first standby gateway.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the set of gateways implement a particular logical port of a logical router, wherein the logical router belongs to a logical network comprising a plurality of logical switches that connect to the logical router through logical ports other than the particular logical port, wherein the particular logical port is an uplink port through which traffic sent to and received from a network external to the logical network.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the set of instructions for configuring the first gateway as a master gateway comprises a set of instructions for defining a first ordered list that specifies, in order, (i) the first gateway, (ii) the second gateway, and (ii) a third gateway.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the set of instructions for configuring the second gateway in the ranking order as the master gateway comprises a set of instructions for defining a second ordered list that specifies, in order, (i) the second gateway and (ii) at least the third gateway, and does not include the first gateway.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 18, wherein the set of instructions for maintaining the second gateway in the ranking order as the master gateway and configuring the first gateway as the first standby gateway comprises a set of instructions for defining a third ordered list that specifies, in order, (i) the second gateway, (ii) the first gateway, and (iii) at least the third gateway.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the program is a centralized controller application, wherein the set of instructions for configuring a particular gateway comprises a set of instructions for communicating an ordered list of the gateways to local controllers that manage each of the gateways, wherein the ordered list is further communicated to local controllers that manage other forwarding elements that forward data traffic to the gateways.

21. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 20, wherein a particular local controller receives the ordered list and configures its corresponding forwarding element to forward packets, for a particular logical port implemented by the gateways, based on the ordered list, wherein the packets are forwarded according to a bundle flow that specifies the first gateway in the list as a first choice and the second gateway in the list as a next choice to use only if the first gateway in the list is unavailable.