Stateful connection optimization over stretched networks using packet introspection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10567281-B2
Application number	US-201715690231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2017
Priority date	Aug 29, 2016
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

Techniques for stateful connection optimization over stretched networks are disclosed. In one embodiment, hypervisor filtering modules in a cloud computing system are configured to modify packets sent by virtual computing instances (e.g., virtual machines (VMs)) in the cloud to local destinations in the cloud such that those packets have the destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of a local router that is also in the cloud. Doing so prevents tromboning traffic flows in which packets sent by virtual computing instances in the cloud to location destinations are routed to a stretched network's default gateway that is not in the cloud.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of optimizing connections over an extended network that spans a first computing system and a second computing system, the first computing system comprising a first plurality of virtual computing instances running on a first plurality of physical hosts and a first router, the second computing system comprising a second plurality of virtual computing instances running on a second plurality of physical hosts and a second router, wherein the second router is configured as a default gateway for the extended network including the first plurality of virtual computing instances and the second plurality of virtual computing instances, comprising:
configuring hypervisor filters in the first plurality of physical hosts with information indicating Internet protocol (IP) addresses of the first plurality of virtual computing instances that are local to the first computing system; and
configuring the hypervisor filters with at least one traffic filtering rule to divert packets having destination IP addresses of the first plurality of virtual computing instances that are local to the first computing system to the first router,
wherein, based on the at least one traffic filtering rule, the configured hypervisor filters:
receive packets which are sent by the first plurality of virtual computing instances, each packet including a destination IP address of at least one of the first plurality of virtual computing instances that are local to the first computing system and a destination media access control (MAC) address of the second router that is not local to the first computing system; and
modify the packets to include the destination MAC address of the first router that is local to the first computing system so the packets are forwarded to the first router in the first computing system instead of the second router in the second computing system that is configured as the default gateway.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, responsive to determining a virtual computing instance has moved from the second computing system to the first computing system, configuring the hypervisor filters in the first plurality of physical hosts with additional information indicating the IP address of the moved virtual computing instance that is local to the first computing system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hypervisor filters are configured by a management application which maintains an inventory of virtual computing instances and networks that are local to the first computing system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein packets with destinations that are not local to the first computing system are routed to the second router configured as the default gateway.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the hypervisor filters imposes on a input output (I/O) path between a virtual network interface card (VNIC) of one of the first plurality of virtual computing instances and a port of a virtual switch.

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

7. 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 that spans a first computing system and a second computing system, the first computing system comprising a first plurality of virtual computing instances running on a first plurality of physical hosts and a first router, the second computing system comprising a second plurality of virtual computing instances running on a second plurality of physical hosts and a second router, wherein the second router is configured as a default gateway for the extended network including the first plurality of virtual computing instances and the second plurality of virtual computing instances, the operations comprising:
configuring hypervisor filters in the first plurality of physical hosts with information indicating Internet protocol (IP) addresses of the first plurality of virtual computing instances that are local to the first computing system; and
configuring the hypervisor filters with at least one traffic filtering rule to divert packets having destination IP addresses of the first plurality of virtual computing instances that are local to the first computing system to the first router,
wherein, based on the at least one traffic filtering rule, the configured hypervisor filters:
receive packets which are sent by the first plurality of virtual computing instances, each packet including a destination IP address of at least one of the first plurality of virtual computing instances that are local to the first computing system and a destination media access control (MAC) address of the second router that is not local to the first computing system; and
modify the packets to include the destination MAC address of the first router that is local to the first computing system so the packets are forwarded to the first router in the first computing system instead of the second router in the second computing system that is configured as the default gateway.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , the operations further comprising, responsive to determining a virtual computing instance has moved from the second computing system to the first computing system, configuring the hypervisor filters in the first plurality of physical hosts with additional information indicating the IP address of the moved virtual computing instance that is local to the first computing system.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the hypervisor filters are configured by a management application which maintains an inventory of virtual computing instances and networks that are local to the first computing system.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein packets with destinations that are not local to the first computing system are routed to the second router configured as the default gateway.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the hypervisor filters imposes on a input output (I/O) path between a virtual network interface card (VNIC) of one of the first plurality of virtual computing instances and a port of a virtual switch.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the first computing system is one of a cloud computing system and an on-premise virtualized computing system.

13. 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 that spans a first computing system and a second computing system, the first computing system comprising a first plurality of virtual computing instances running on a first plurality of physical hosts and a first router, the second computing system comprising a second plurality of virtual computing instances running on a second plurality of physical hosts and a second router, wherein the second router is configured as a default gateway for the extended network including the first plurality of virtual computing instances and the second plurality of virtual computing instances, the operations comprising:
configuring hypervisor filters in the first plurality of physical hosts with information indicating Internet protocol (IP) addresses of the first plurality of virtual computing instances that are local to the first computing system; and
configuring the hypervisor filters with at least one traffic filtering rule to divert packets having destination IP addresses of the

Assignees

• Vmware Inc

Inventors

• Wu Weiqing
• Srinivasan Aravind
• Cui Leon
• Sabin Todd
• Maskalik Serge
• 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

• H04L47/365

  Dynamic adaptation of the packet size · CPC title

• G06F9/45558

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title