Method for virtual machine migration in computer networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016119417-A1
Application number	US-201414555881-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 28, 2014
Priority date	Oct 26, 2014
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various techniques for virtual entity migration in a computer network is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving an indication to migrate a virtual machine in a virtual network from an originating network node of the underlay network to a target network node of the underlay network. The method also includes establishing a network tunnel in the underlay network from the originating network node to the target network node in response to receiving the indication to migrate the virtual machine. The method further includes migrating the virtual machine from the originating network node to the target network node following the established network tunnel in the underlay network while maintaining an address of the migrated virtual machine in the virtual network.

First claim

I/We claim:

1 . A method performed by a computing device having a processor, the method comprising:
with the processor,
receiving reachability information at an overlay partition in a computer network having an overlay network logically divided into a plurality of overlay partitions, the overlay network being implemented over an underlay network having a plurality of network nodes, wherein the reachability information includes a mapping of one or more virtual end points in the overlay partition to individual addresses of the network nodes in the underlay network at which the virtual end points currently reside; and
performing at least one of an instantiating, starting, suspending, migrating, or terminating a virtual end point based on the received reachability information.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
the underlay network includes a plurality of network nodes and servers interconnected by the network nodes; and
the overlay partitions are logic partitions of the overlay network divided based on at least one of the servers in the underlay network, the virtual networks, or the virtual end points.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
each of the overlay partitions includes a local reachability access gateway (“LRAG”);
receiving reachability information includes receiving reachability information at one of the LRAGs; and
performing at least one of an instantiating, starting, suspending, migrating, or terminating a virtual end point includes performing at least one of an instantiating, starting, suspending, migrating, or terminating a virtual end point by the LRAG based on the received reachability information.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
each of the overlay partitions includes a LRAG;
receiving reachability information includes receiving reachability information at one of the LRAGs;
performing at least one of an instantiating, starting, suspending, migrating, or terminating a virtual end point includes performing at least one of an instantiating, starting, suspending, migrating, or terminating a virtual end point by the LRAG; and
providing a notification regarding successful completion of the at least one of instantiating, starting, suspending, or terminating the virtual end point by the LRAG.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
each of the overlay partitions includes a local reachability access gateway (“LRAG”);
receiving reachability information includes receiving reachability information at the LRAG;
the method further includes performing at least one of instantiating, starting, suspending, or terminating a virtual end point by the LRAG based on the received reachability information; and
providing an update regarding successful completion of the at least one of instantiating, starting, suspending, or terminating the virtual end point by the LRAG to the other LRAGs.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
each of the overlay partitions includes a local reachability access gateway (“LRAG”);
receiving reachability information includes receiving reachability information at the LRAG;
the method further includes, with the LRAG:
performing at least one of instantiating, starting, suspending, or terminating a virtual end point based on the received reachability information;
determining at least one other LRAG impacted by the performed at least one of instantiating, starting, suspending, or terminating the virtual end point; and
providing an update regarding successful completion of the at least one of instantiating, starting, suspending, or terminating the virtual end point to the determined at least one other LRAG.

7 . The method of claim 10 wherein:
the underlay network includes a plurality of network nodes;
the method further includes:
generating an entry in a forwarding table, the entry having an identifier of source and destination virtual end points of one of the virtual networks and a network path to the destination virtual end point via one or more of the network nodes of the underlay network; and
causing the source virtual end point to migrate to the destination virtual end point via the network path.

8 . The method of claim 10 wherein:
the underlay network includes a plurality of network nodes;
the method further includes:
generating an entry in a forwarding table, the entry having an identifier of source and destination virtual end points of one of the virtual networks and a network path to the destination virtual end point via one or more of the network nodes of the underlay network;
causing the source virtual end point to migrate to the destination virtual end point via the network path; and
forwarding messages destined to the source virtual end point to the destination virtual end point via the network path.

9 . A method for migrating a virtual machine in a computer network having an overlay network having a plurality of virtual networks and implemented over an underlay network having a plurality of network nodes, the method comprising:
receiving an indication to migrate a virtual machine in a virtual network of the overlay network from an originating network node of the underlay network to a target network node of the underlay network, the virtual machine having an address in the virtual network; establishing a network tunnel in the underlay network from the originating network node to the target network node in response to receiving the indication to migrate the virtual machine; and migrating the virtual machine from the originating network node to the target network node following the established network tunnel in the underlay network while maintaining the address of the migrated virtual machine in the virtual network.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising forwarding messages destined to the virtual machine from the originating network node to the target network node along the established network tunnel.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving the messages destined for the migrated virtual machine at the originating network node; encapsulating the received messages with routing information identifying the established network tunnel; and forwarding the encapsulated messages to the target network node following the network tunnel.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving the messages destined for the migrated virtual machine at the originating network node; encapsulating the received messages with routing information identifying the established network tunnel, the routing information including a label corresponding to the established network tunnel; and forwarding the encapsulated messages to the target network node following the network tunnel.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
forwarding the messages destined for the migrated virtual machine for a period of time; and demolish the network tunnel after the period of time expires.

14 . A computing system having a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory containing instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
receiving an indication to migrate a virtual machine in a virtual network from a first network node of a underlay network to a second network node of the underlay network, the virtual network being implemented over the underlay network having a plurality of network nodes; in response to receiving the indication to migrate the virtual machine, determining a network path in the underlay network between the first and second network nodes; migrating the virtual machine from the first network node to be hosted by the second network node f

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Fang Luyuan
• Chiussi Fabio
• Gill Vijay
• Bansal Deepak

Classifications

• H04L45/02

  Topology update or discovery · CPC title

• H04L67/1095 Primary

  Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes · CPC title

• H04L41/0897 Primary

  by horizontal or vertical scaling of resources, or by migrating entities, e.g. virtual resources or entities · CPC title

• H04L67/16

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L67/51

  Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services · CPC title