Configuring traffic flow monitoring in virtualized computing environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10536362-B2
Application number	US-201715680220-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2017
Priority date	Aug 18, 2017
Publication date	Jan 14, 2020
Grant date	Jan 14, 2020

Abstract

Example methods are provided for configuring traffic flow monitoring in a virtualized computing environment. The method may comprise identifying a first logical entity and a second logical entity for which traffic flow monitoring is required and determining a span associated with the first logical entity and the second logical entity. The span may include a first host supporting the first logical entity and a second host supporting the second logical entity. The method may also comprise, based on the span, configuring the first host to monitor a first traffic flow travelling through the first logical entity at the first host, and the second host to monitor a second traffic flow travelling through the second logical entity at the second host.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for a network management entity to configure traffic flow monitoring in a virtualized computing environment that includes the network management entity, a first host, and a second host, the method comprising:
identifying a first logical entity and a second logical entity for which traffic flow monitoring is required;
determining a span associated with the first logical entity and the second logical entity, wherein the span includes the first host supporting the first logical entity and the second host supporting the second logical entity; and
based on the span, configuring the first host to monitor a first traffic flow travelling through the first logical entity at the first host, and the second host to monitor a second traffic flow travelling through the second logical entity at the second host, wherein at least one of:
configuring the first host includes configuring the first host to generate first report information that specifies a mapping between logical network information and physical network information associated with the first traffic flow so as to enable the network management entity to determine traffic flows at a logical network level and at a physical network level; or
configuring the second host includes configuring the second host to generate second report information that specifies a mapping between logical network information and physical network information associated with the second traffic flow so as to enable the network management entity to determine the traffic flows at the logical network level and at the physical network level.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the first logical entity and the second logical entity comprises:
identifying a first logical port, being the first logical entity, that is associated with a first virtualized computing instance supported by the first host; and
identifying a second logical port, being the second logical entity, that is associated with a second virtualized computing instance supported by the second host.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein identifying the first logical entity and the second logical entity comprises:
prior to identifying the first logical port and the second logical port, identifying a logical switch for which traffic flow monitoring is required, wherein the logical switch is connected to the first logical port and the second logical port.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein configuring the first host and the second host comprises:
configuring the first host to monitor the first traffic flow travelling through the logical switch or the first logical port at the first host; and
configuring the second host to monitor the second traffic flow travelling through the logical switch or the second logical port at the second host.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the first host and the second host comprises:
generating and sending first configuration information to a first local control plane (LCP) component of the first host; and
generating and sending second configuration information to a second LCP component of the second host, wherein the second LCP component is supported by a different virtualization technology compared to the first LCP component.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the first host and the second host comprises one or more of:
generating and sending the first configuration information to cause a first local control plane (LCP) component of the first host to configure a first data plane component to monitor the first traffic flow; and
generating and sending the second configuration information to cause a second LCP component of the second host to configure a second data plane component to monitor the second traffic flow.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein configuring the first host and the second host comprises one or more of:
generating and sending the first configuration information to cause the first LCP component to configure the first data plane component to generate the first report information that specifies the mapping between the logical network information and the physical network information associated with the first traffic flow; and
generating and sending the second configuration information to cause the second LCP component to configure the second data plane component to generate the second report information that specifies the mapping between the logical network information and the physical network information associated with the second traffic flow.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that includes a set of instructions which, in response to execution by a processor of a computer system, cause the processor to perform a method to configure flow monitoring in a virtualized computing environment that includes a first host and a second host, wherein the method comprises:
identifying a first logical entity and a second logical entity for which traffic flow monitoring is required;
determining a span associated with the first logical entity and the second logical entity, wherein the span includes the first host supporting the first logical entity and the second host supporting the second logical entity; and
based on the span, configuring the first host to monitor a first traffic flow travelling through the first logical entity at the first host, and the second host to monitor a second traffic flow travelling through the second logical entity at the second host, wherein at least one of:
configuring the first host includes configuring the first host to generate first report information that specifies a mapping between logical network information and physical network information associated with the first traffic flow so as to enable the network management entity to determine traffic flows at a logical network level and at a physical network level; or
configuring the second host includes configuring the second host to generate second report information that specifies a mapping between logical network information and physical network information associated with the second traffic flow so as to enable the network management entity to determine the traffic flows at the logical network level and at the physical network level.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein identifying the first logical entity and the second logical entity comprises:
identifying a first logical port, being the first logical entity, that is associated with a first virtualized computing instance supported by the first host; and
identifying a second logical port, being the second logical entity, that is associated with a second virtualized computing instance supported by the second host.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein identifying the first logical entity and the second logical entity comprises:
prior to identifying the first logical port and the second logical port, identifying a logical switch for which traffic flow monitoring is required, wherein the logical switch is connected to the first logical port and the second logical port.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein configuring the first host and the second host comprises:
configuring the first host to monitor the first traffic flow travelling through the logical switch or the first logical port at the first host; and
configuring the second host to monitor the second traffic flow travelling through the logical switch or the second logical port at the second host.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein configuring the first host and the second host comprises:
generating and sending first configu

Assignees

• Nicira Inc

Inventors

• Qi Xin
• Zhang Jingfeng
• Wan Da
• Zhang Wenyu
• Liu Danting
• Ye Benli
• Wang Qiong
• Wang Hua
• Koganty Raju
• Han Donghai

Classifications

• H04L41/0803

  Configuration setting · CPC title

• H04L43/0876

  Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level · CPC title

• H04L43/065

  related to network devices · CPC title

• H04L43/026

  using flow identification · CPC title

• H04L43/045

  for graphical visualisation of monitoring data · CPC title