Routing domain identifier assignment in logical network environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10757004-B2
Application number	US-201715486261-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2017
Priority date	Apr 12, 2017
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

Example methods are provided for assigning a routing domain identifier in a logical network environment that includes one or more logical distributed routers and one or more logical switches. In one example, the method may comprise obtaining network topology information specifying how the one or more logical distributed routers are connected with the one or more logical switches; and selecting, from the one or more logical switches, a particular logical switch for which routing domain identifier assignment is required. The method may also comprise: identifying a particular logical distributed router that is connected with the particular logical switch based on the network topology information; assigning the particular logical switch with the routing domain identifier that is associated with the particular logical distributed router; and using the routing domain identifier in a communication between a management entity and a host.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method to assign a routing domain identifier in a logical network environment that includes one or more logical distributed routers and one or more logical switches, the method comprising:
obtaining network topology information specifying how the one or more logical distributed routers are connected with the one or more logical switches;
selecting, from the one or more logical switches, a particular logical switch for which routing domain identifier assignment is required, wherein the particular logical switch is distributed on multiple hosts in the logical network environment;
identifying, from the one or more logical distributed routers, a particular logical distributed router that is connected with the particular logical switch based on the network topology information, wherein the particular logical distributed router is distributed on the multiple hosts in the logical network environment;
assigning the particular logical switch with the routing domain identifier which is associated with a routing domain of the particular logical distributed router, wherein the routing domain identifier uniquely identifies the particular logical distributed router from one or more other logical distributed routers in the routing domain; and
using the routing domain identifier in a communication between a management entity and each host, of the multiple hosts, that supports the particular logical switch and the particular logical distributed router.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the particular logical distributed router comprises:
determining that the particular logical switch is connected with a single logical distributed router, being the particular logical distributed router.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the particular logical distributed router comprises:
determining that the particular logical distributed router is an upper-tier logical distributed router, and the particular logical switch and the particular logical distributed router are either directly connected to each other, or indirectly connected via a lower-tier logical distributed router.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the particular logical distributed router comprises:
determining that the particular logical distributed router is a lower-tier logical distributed router, and the particular logical switch is directly connected to the particular logical distributed router and indirectly connected to an upper-tier logical distributed router via a logical service router.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the particular logical switch with the routing domain identifier comprises assigning the routing domain identifier to the particular logical switch according to rules that specify:
assigning the routing domain identifier associated with the routing domain of the particular logical distributed router to the particular logical switch, based on the particular logical switch being directly connected to a single logical distributed router that is the particular logical distributed router;
assigning the routing domain identifier associated with the routing domain of the particular logical distributed router to the particular logical switch, based on the particular logical switch being directly connected to an upper-tier logical distributed router that is the particular logical distributed router, or based on the particular logical switch being indirectly connected to the upper-tier logical distributed router via a lower-tier logical distributed router; and
assigning the routing domain identifier associated with the routing domain of the particular logical distributed router to the particular logical switch, based on the particular logical switch being indirectly connected to an upper-tier logical distributed router via a logical service router and being directly connected to a lower-tier logical distributed router that is the particular logical distributed router.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting an operation that updates the network topology information;
determining whether the operation affects the particular logical switch, or one or more descendants associated with the particular logical switch, or both; and
in response to determination in an affirmative, updating the routing domain identifier of the particular logical switch, or that of the one or more descendants, or both.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining whether the particular logical switch is affected comprises one of:
determining that the particular logical switch is not affected based on an operation to delete a logical object that is directly or indirectly connected to the particular logical switch, wherein the logical object is one of: another logical switch or a logical switch port that is directly connected to a virtualized computing instance; another logical switch or a logical switch port that is directly connected to a logical service router; or a logical service router and a port on the logical service router; and
determining that the particular logical switch is affected based on the operation to delete the particular logical distributed router.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining whether the particular logical switch is affected comprises one of:
determining that the particular logical switch is not affected based on an operation to update a direct connection between the particular logical switch and a virtualized computing instance or a logical service router;
determining that the particular logical switch has a direct connection with a single logical distributed router, being the particular logical distributed router, and the particular logical switch is affected based on the operation to update the direct connection;
determining that the particular logical switch and one or more descendants are affected based on the operation to update a direct northbound connection from the particular logical switch to the particular logical distributed router; and
determining that the particular logical switch is affected based on the operation to update a direct southbound connection from the particular logical switch to the particular logical distributed router.

9. 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 implement a method to assign a routing domain identifier in a logical network environment that includes one or more logical distributed routers and one or more logical switches, wherein the method comprises:
obtaining network topology information specifying how the one or more logical distributed routers are connected with the one or more logical switches;
selecting, from the one or more logical switches, a particular logical switch for which routing domain identifier assignment is required, wherein the particular logical switch is distributed on multiple hosts in the logical network environment;
identifying, from the one or more logical distributed routers, a particular logical distributed router that is connected with the particular logical switch based on the network topology information, wherein the particular logical distributed router is distributed on the multiple hosts in the logical network environment;
assigning the particular logical switch with the routing domain identifier which is associated with a routing domain of the particular logical distributed router, wherein the routing domain identifier uniquely identifies the particular logical distributed router from one or more other logical distributed routers in the routing domain; and
using the routing domain identifier in a communication between a management entity and each host, of the multi

Assignees

• Nicira Inc

Inventors

• Wan Da
• Thakkar Pankaj
• Chanda Anupam
• Shen Jianjun
• Chalvadi Anuprem
• Jiang Caixia
• Wang Hua
• Han Donghai

Classifications

• H04L41/12

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title

• H04L45/02 Primary

  Topology update or discovery · CPC title

• H04L45/64

  using an overlay routing layer · CPC title

• H04L45/44

  Distributed routing · CPC title

• H04L61/3025

  Domain name generation or assignment · CPC title