Method and system for creating a virtual router in a blade chassis to maintain connectivity

1. A method for migrating a first virtual machine (VM), comprising:

transmitting, prior to migration, a first packet between the first VM and a second VM using a first virtual network interface card (VNIC) and a second VNIC, wherein the first VM executes on a first blade in a first blade chassis prior to migration, wherein the second VM executes on a second blade in a second blade chassis, and wherein the first VNIC is associated with the first VM and the second VNIC is associated with the second VM;

migrating the first VM and the first VNIC to the second blade;

identifying a subnet of the first VM;

identifying a subnet of the second VM, wherein the subnet of the second VM is different from the subnet of the first VM;

creating a virtual router to execute on the second blade, wherein the virtual router is associated with a third VNIC and a fourth VNIC, wherein a first network address in the subnet of the first VM is assigned to the third VNIC, wherein a second network address in the subnet of the second VM is assigned to the fourth VNIC;

creating a first virtual switch to connect the first VNIC to the third VNIC;

creating a second virtual switch to connect the second VNIC to the fourth VNIC; and

routing a second packet between the first VM and the second VM using the virtual router after migration.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting a third packet between a third VM and the second VM using a fifth VNIC and the second VNIC, wherein the third VM executes on the first blade prior to migration, and wherein the fifth VNIC is associated with the third VM;

migrating the third VM and the fifth VNIC to the second blade;

identifying a subnet of the third VM;

determining that the subnet of the third VM is the same as the subnet of the first VM;

connecting the fifth VNIC to the first virtual switch based on the determination; and

routing a fourth packet between the fifth VM and the second VM using the virtual router after migration.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting a third packet between the third VM and the second VM using a fifth VNIC and the second VNIC prior to migration, wherein the third VM executes on a third blade prior to migration, and wherein the fifth VNIC is associated with the third VM;

migrating the third VM and the fifth VNIC to the second blade;

identifying a subnet of the third VM;

determining that the subnet of the third VM is different from the subnet of the first VM;

creating a sixth VNIC for the virtual router, wherein a third network address in the subnet of the third VM is assigned to the sixth VNIC;

creating a third virtual switch to connect the fifth VNIC to the sixth VNIC; and

routing a fourth packet between the fifth VM and the second VM using the virtual router after migration.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein migrating the VM is based on a migration trigger, and wherein the migration trigger is based on power management.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein migrating the VM is based on a migration trigger, and wherein the migration trigger is failure of the first blade.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first virtual switch and the second virtual switch execute on the second blade.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second packet is routed only within the blade chassis.

8. A computer system for migrating a first virtual machine (VM), comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

software instructions stored in the memory for enabling the computer system to:

transmit, prior to migration, a first packet between the first VM and a second VM using a first virtual network interface card (VNIC) and a second VNIC, wherein the first VM executes on a first blade in a first blade chassis prior to migration, wherein the second VM executes on a second blade in a second blade chassis, and wherein the first VNIC is associated with the first VM and the second VNIC is associated with the second VM;

migrate the first VM and the first VNIC to the second blade;

identify a subnet of the first VM;

identify a subnet of the second VM, wherein the subnet of the second VM is different from the subnet of the first VM;

create a virtual router to execute on the second blade, wherein the virtual router is associated with a third VNIC and a fourth VNIC, wherein a first network address in the subnet of the first VM is assigned to the third VNIC, wherein a second network address in the subnet of the second VM is assigned to the fourth VNIC;

create a first virtual switch to connect the first VNIC to the third VNIC;

create a second virtual switch to connect the second VNIC to the fourth VNIC; and

route a second packet between the first VM and the second VM using the virtual router after migration.

9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the software instructions further cause the computer system to:

transmit a third packet between a third VM and the second VM using a fifth VNIC and the second VNIC, wherein the third VM executes on the first blade prior to migration, and wherein the fifth VNIC is associated with the third VM;

migrate the third VM and the fifth VNIC to the second blade;

identify a subnet of the third VM;

determine that the subnet of the third VM is the same as the subnet of the first VM;

connect the fifth VNIC to the first virtual switch based on the determination; and

route a fourth packet between the fifth VM and the second VM using the virtual router after migration.

10. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the software instructions further cause the computer system to:

transmit a third packet between the third VM and the second VM using a fifth VNIC and the second VNIC prior to migration, wherein the third VM executes on a third blade prior to migration, and wherein the fifth VNIC is associated with the third VM;

migrate the third VM and the fifth VNIC to the second blade;

identify a subnet of the third VM;

determine that the subnet of the third VM is different from the subnet of the first VM;

create a sixth VNIC for the virtual router, wherein a third network address in the subnet of the third VM is assigned to the sixth VNIC;

create a third virtual switch to connect the fifth VNIC to the sixth VNIC; and

route a fourth packet between the fifth VM and the second VM using the virtual router after migration.

11. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein migrating the VM is based on a migration trigger, and wherein the migration trigger is based on power management.

12. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein migrating the VM is based on a migration trigger, and wherein the migration trigger is failure of the first blade.

13. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the first virtual switch and the second virtual switch execute on the second blade.

14. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the second packet is routed only within the blade chassis.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to:

transmit, prior to migration, a first packet between a first virtual machine (VM) and a second VM using a first virtual network interface card (VNIC) and a second VNIC, wherein the first VM executes on a first blade in a first blade chassis prior to migration, wherein the second VM executes on a second blade in a second blade chassis, and wherein the first VNIC is associated with the first VM and the second VNIC is associated with the second VM;

migrate the first VM and the first VNIC to the second blade;

identify a subnet of the first VM;

identify a subnet of the second VM, wherein the subnet of the second VM is different from the subnet of the first VM;

create a virtual router to execute on the second blade, wherein the virtual router is associated with a third VNIC and a fourth VNIC, wherein a first network address in the subnet of the first VM is assigned to the third VNIC, wherein a second network address in the subnet of the second VM is assigned to the fourth VNIC;

create a first virtual switch to connect the first VNIC to the third VNIC;

create a second virtual switch to connect the second VNIC to the fourth VNIC; and

route a second packet between the first VM and the second VM using the virtual router after migration.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the computer readable program code further causes the computer system to:

transmit a third packet between a third VM and the second VM using a fifth VNIC and the second VNIC, wherein the third VM executes on the first blade prior to migration, and wherein the fifth VNIC is associated with the third VM;

migrate the third VM and the fifth VNIC to the second blade;

identify a subnet of the third VM;

determine that the subnet of the third VM is the same as the subnet of the first VM;

connect the fifth VNIC to the first virtual switch based on the determination; and

route a fourth packet between the fifth VM and the second VM using the virtual router after migration.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the computer readable program code further causes the computer system to:

transmit a third packet between the third VM and the second VM using a fifth VNIC and the second VNIC prior to migration, wherein the third VM executes on a third blade prior to migration, and wherein the fifth VNIC is associated with the third VM;

migrate the third VM and the fifth VNIC to the second blade;

identify a subnet of the third VM;

determine that the subnet of the third VM is different from the subnet of the first VM;

create a sixth VNIC for the virtual router, wherein a third network address in the subnet of the third VM is assigned to the sixth VNIC;

create a third virtual switch to connect the fifth VNIC to the sixth VNIC; and

route a fourth packet between the fifth VM and the second VM using the virtual router after migration.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein migrating the VM is based on a migration trigger, and wherein the migration trigger is based on power management.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein migrating the VM is based on a migration trigger, and wherein the migration trigger is failure of the first blade.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first virtual switch and the second virtual switch execute on the second blade, and wherein the second packet is routed only within the blade chassis.