Stateful connection optimization over stretched networks using specific prefix routes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10419340-B2
Application number	US-201715690224-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2017
Priority date	Aug 29, 2016
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

Techniques for stateful connection optimization over stretched networks are disclosed. Such stretched networks may extend across both a data center and a cloud. In one embodiment, configuration changes are made to cloud layer 2 (L2) concentrators used by extended networks and a cloud router such that the L2 concentrators block packets with the cloud router's source MAC address and block address resolution protocol (ARP) requests for a gateway IP address from/to cloud networks that are part of the extended networks. Further, the cloud router is configured with the same gateway IP address as that of a default gateway router in the data center and responds to ARP requests for the gateway IP address with its own MAC address. In addition, specific prefix routes (e.g., /32 routes) for virtual computing instances on route optimized networks in the cloud are injected into the cloud router and propagating to a data center router.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of optimizing connections over an extended network created by bridging a first network in a first computing system, a second network in a second computing system, and a wide area network using a first bridging appliance in the first computing system and a second bridging appliance in the second computing system, comprising:
configuring the first bridging appliance to:
block packets with a source media access control (MAC) address belonging to a first router in the first computing system, and
block address resolution protocol (ARP) requests for a gateway Internet Protocol (IP) address from and to the first network;

configuring the first router in the first computing system to have a same gateway IP address as a second router in the second computing system that is a default gateway of the extended network;
injecting, into the first router, one or more specific prefix routes for one or more respective virtual computing instances on the first network; and
propagating the one or more specific prefix routes to the second router.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, propagating a route to a third network that is local to the first computing system to the second router.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more specific prefix routes are /32 routes; and
the first router is configured to have a /32 IP address which is not announced to peer routers.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, responsive to determining a first virtual computing instance has attached to the first network in the first computing system:
injecting, into the first router, an additional specific prefix route for the first virtual computing instance; and
propagating the additional specific prefix route to the second router.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first virtual computing instance has attached to the first network in the first computing system after migrating from the second computing system to the first computing system.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, responsive to determining a first virtual computing instance has detached from the first network in the first computing system:
removing, from the first router, an injected specific prefix route associated with the first virtual computing instance.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first bridging appliance and the second bridging appliance are layer 2 (L2) concentrator appliances.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first computing system is a cloud computing system and the second computing system is an on-premise virtualized computing system.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual computing instances on the first network are virtual machines.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing a program which, when executed by one or more processors, performs operations for optimizing connections over an extended network created by bridging a first network in a first computing system, a second network in a second computing system, and a wide area network using a first bridging appliance in the first computing system and a second bridging appliance in the second computing system, the operations comprising:
configuring the first bridging appliance to:
block packets with a source media access control (MAC) address belonging to a first router in the first computing system, and
block address resolution protocol (ARP) requests for a gateway Internet Protocol (IP) address from and to the first network;

configuring the first router in the first computing system to have a same gateway IP address as a second router in the second computing system that is a default gateway of the extended network;
injecting, into the first router, one or more specific prefix routes for one or more respective virtual computing instances on the first network; and
propagating the one or more specific prefix routes to the second router.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , the operations further comprising, propagating a route to a third network that is local to the first computing system to the second router.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein:
the one or more specific prefix routes are /32 routes; and
the first router is configured to have a /32 IP address which is not announced to peer routers.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , the operations further comprising, responsive to determining a first virtual computing instance has attached to the first network in the first computing system:
injecting, into the first router, an additional specific prefix route for the first virtual computing instance; and
propagating the additional specific prefix route to the second router.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the first virtual computing instance has attached to the first network in the first computing system after migrating from the second computing system to the first computing system.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , the operations further comprising, responsive to determining a first virtual computing instance has detached from the first network in the first computing system:
removing, from the first router, an injected specific prefix route associated with the first virtual computing instance.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the first bridging appliance and the second bridging appliance are layer 2 (L2) concentrator appliances.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the first computing system is a cloud computing system and the second computing system is an on-premise virtualized computing system.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the virtual computing instances on the first network are virtual machines.

19. A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory, wherein the memory includes a program executable in the processor to perform operations for optimizing connections over an extended network created by bridging a first network in a first computing system, a second network in a second computing system, and a wide area network using a first bridging appliance in the first computing system and a second bridging appliance in the second computing system, the operations comprising:
configuring the first bridging appliance to:
block packets with a source media access control (MAC) address belonging to a first router in the first computing system; and
block address resolution protocol (ARP) requests for a gateway Internet Protocol (IP) address from and to the first network,

configuring the first router in the first computing system to have a same gateway IP address as a second router in the second computing system that is a default gateway of the extended network,
injecting, into the first router, one or more specific prefix routes for one or more respective virtual computing instances on the first network, and
propagating the one or more specific prefix routes to the second router.

20. The system of claim 19 , the operations further comprising, propagating a route to a third network that is local to the first computing system to the second router.

Assignees

• Vmware Inc

Inventors

• Wu Weiqing
• Srinivasan Aravind
• Maskalik Serge
• Sabin Todd
• Thakkar Sachin

Classifications

• H04L45/64

  using an overlay routing layer · CPC title

• H04L49/70

  Virtual switches · CPC title

• H04L45/74 Primary

  Address processing for routing · CPC title

• G06F9/5077

  Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources (specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455) · CPC title

• H04L45/38

  Flow based routing · CPC title