IP Library Granted Patent US 11,669,488
Granted Patent B2
US 11,669,488 · App. 16/672,455 · Granted Jun 6, 2023

Chassis controller

Inventors: Pankaj Thakkar (Cupertino, CA); Teemu Koponen (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: NICIRA, INC.
G06F15/177G06F9/45558H04L12/4633H04L41/0226H04L41/042H04L41/0806H04L41/20H04L41/50H04L45/38H04L45/42H04L45/66H04L47/10H04L47/50H04L47/825H04L49/254G05B11/01G06F2009/45595
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,669,488
App. No.
16/672,455
Granted
Jun 6, 2023
Kind
B2
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 (39)

1. A host computer comprising:

a set of processors; and

a machine-readable medium storing a controller application to be executed by at least one processor, the controller application comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving data tuples defining first and second logical forwarding elements (LFEs);

based on the received data tuples defining the first LFE, generating data for a first managed forwarding element (MFE) that executes on the host computer to implement the first LFE along with a first set of MFEs executing on a first set of host computers;

based on the received data tuples defining the second LFE, generating data for the first MFE to implement the second LFE along with a second set of other MFEs executing on a second set of host computers; and

configuring the first MFE with the generated data to implement the first and second LFEs,

wherein the first LFE is for a first logical network and the second LFE is for a second logical network.

2. The host computer of claim 1 , wherein the data tuples defining the first LFE are generated and distributed to the controller application by a first controller computer and the data tuples defining the second LFE are generated and distributed to the controller application by a second controller computer.

3. The host computer of claim 2 , wherein the host computer is a first host computer and the controller application is a first controller application, wherein a second controller application executes on a second host computer, and the data tuples defining the first LFE are received directly from a third controller computer that manages (1) the first controller application executing on the first host computer and (2) the second controller application executing on a second host computer.

4. The host computer of claim 3 , wherein the third controller computer receives the data tuples defining the first LFE from the first controller computer and distributes the data tuples defining the first LFE to both of the first and second controller applications executing respectively on the first and second host computers.

5. The host computer of claim 3 , wherein the second controller application generates data for a second MFE executing on the second host computer to implement the first LFE.

6. The host computer of claim 5 , wherein the first and second MFEs exchange data packets when a first end machine that is logically connected to the first LFE and operates on the first host computer communicates with a second end machine that is logically connected to the first LFE and operates on the second host computer.

7. The host computer of claim 1 , wherein the first MFE is connected to a first set of end machines that operates on the host computer, wherein the first MFE implements the first LFE for the first logical network to connect the first set of end machines to a plurality of end machines operating on the first set of host computers.

8. The host computer of claim 1 , wherein the controller application further comprises sets of instructions for:

receiving updated data from the first MFE;

generating additional data for the first MFE to implement at least one of the first and second LFEs based on the updated data; and

configuring the first MFE with the additional generated data.

9. The host computer of claim 1 , wherein the first LFE belongs to a first logical network of a first tenant of a datacenter while the second LFE belongs to a second logical network of a second tenant of the datacenter.

10. A system comprising:

a set of central controllers; and

a first host computer comprising:

a set of processors and a machine-readable medium storing a controller application to be executed by at least one processor, the controller application comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving data tuples defining first and second logical forwarding elements (LFEs) from the set of central controllers;

based on the received data tuples defining the first LFE, generating data for a first managed forwarding element (MFE) that executes on the host computer to implement the first LFE along with a first set of MFEs executing on a first set of host computers;

based on the received data tuples defining the second LFE, generating data for the first MFE to implement the second LFE along with a second set of MFEs executing on a second set of host computers; and

configuring the first MFE with the generated data to implement the first and second LFEs,

wherein the first LFE is for a first logical network and the second LFE is for a second logical network.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the data tuples defining the first LFE are generated and distributed to the controller application by a first controller computer of the central controller set and the data tuples defining the second LFE are generated and distributed to the controller application by a second controller computer of the central controller set.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the host computer is a first host computer and the controller application is a first controller application, wherein a second controller application executes on a second host computer, and the data tuples defining the first LFE are received directly from a third controller computer that manages (1) the first controller application executing on the first host computer and (2) the second controller application executing on a second host computer.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the third controller computer receives the data tuples defining the first LFE from the first controller computer and distributes the data tuples defining the first LFE to both of the first and second controller applications executing respectively on the first and second host computers.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the second controller application generates data for a second MFE executing on the second host computer to implement the first LFE.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first and second MFEs exchange data packets when a first end machine that is logically connected to the first LFE and operates on the first host computer communicates with a second end machine that is logically connected to the first LFE and operates on the second host computer.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first MFE is connected to a first set of end machines that operates on the host computer, wherein the first MFE implements the first LFE for the first logical network to connect the first set of end machines to a plurality of end machines operating on the first set of host computers.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller application further comprises sets of instructions for:

receiving updated data from the first MFE;

generating additional data for the first MFE to implement at least one of the first and second LFEs based on the updated data; and

configuring the first MFE with the additional generated data.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first LFE belongs to a first logical network of a first tenant of a datacenter while the second LFE belongs to a second logical network of a second tenant of the datacenter.

Assignments (1)
MERGER Recorded Jan 27, 2025
From: NICIRA, INC.
To: VMWARE LLC
Reel/Frame 070187/0487 →