Scalable network virtualization with aggregate endpoints

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9596099-B2
Application number	US-201514705071-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2015
Priority date	May 6, 2015
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

Techniques provided herein use aggregate endpoints in a virtual overlay network. In general, aggregate endpoints operate as a single receiving entity for certain packets/frames sent between different physical proximities of the virtual overlay network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a first non-aggregate endpoint in a first physical proximity of a virtual overlay network, a first frame from a first host device in the first physical proximity, wherein the first frame is directed to a second host device in a second physical proximity of the virtual overlay network;
replicating, at the first non-aggregate endpoint, the first frame only to other non-aggregate endpoints and a first aggregate endpoint within the first physical proximity as replicated encapsulated frames;
replicating, by the first aggregate endpoint, the replicated encapsulated frame to only a second aggregate endpoint in the second physical proximity and aggregate endpoints in other physical proximities of the virtual overlay network;
replicating, by the second aggregate endpoint, the replicated encapsulated frame to only non-aggregate endpoints within the second physical proximity; and
upon receipt of a replicated encapsulated frame sent by the second aggregate endpoint, sending, by a second non-aggregate endpoint in the second physical proximity that is connected to the second host device, the first frame to the second host device,
wherein only the first and second aggregate endpoints are enabled for remote communication over a core network interconnecting the first and second physical proximities and the non-aggregate endpoints are enabled only for local communication within a physical proximity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual overlay network is a Virtual Extensible Local Area Network (VXLAN) and wherein the first non-aggregate endpoint, the second non-aggregate endpoint, the first aggregate endpoint, and the second aggregate endpoint are each VXLAN tunnel endpoints (VTEPs).

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating, at the second host device in the second physical proximity, a response frame directed to the first host device in the first physical proximity;
receiving, by the second non-aggregate endpoint, the response frame;
sending, by the second aggregate endpoint, the response frame to the first aggregate endpoint; and
sending, by the first aggregate endpoint, the response frame to the first non-aggregate endpoint.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the first non-aggregate endpoint, the first aggregate endpoint, the second non-aggregate endpoint, and the second aggregate endpoint, endpoint forwarding information from one or more controllers,
wherein the endpoint forwarding information includes an endpoint address for a selected endpoint and an endpoint type identifier for the selected endpoint.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first aggregate endpoint and the second aggregate endpoint are each configured to execute source and destination media access control (MAC) translation mechanisms to reduce the number of host MAC addresses that are learned by the first non-aggregate endpoint and the second non-aggregate endpoint.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein an encapsulated frame received by the first aggregate endpoint includes at least an original Ethernet frame with its own Ethernet header, an inner source MAC address, and an inner destination MAC addresses, and wherein performing source MAC translation comprises:
receiving, at the first aggregate endpoint, an encapsulated frame from the first non-aggregate endpoint in the first physical proximity;
replacing the inner source MAC address of the encapsulated frame with the MAC address of the first aggregate endpoint to generate a modified encapsulated frame; and
forwarding the modified encapsulated frame to the second aggregate endpoint.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein an encapsulated frame received by the first aggregate endpoint includes at least an original Ethernet frame with its own Ethernet header, an inner source MAC address, and an inner destination MAC addresses, and wherein performing destination MAC translation comprises:
receiving, at first aggregate endpoint, an encapsulated frame from the second aggregate endpoint;
replacing the inner destination MAC address of the encapsulated frame with a MAC address of a non-aggregate endpoint.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the replacement of the inner destination MAC address of the encapsulated frame with a MAC address of a non-aggregate endpoint is based on an entry keyed by a Virtual Extensible Local Area Network (VXLAN) Network Identifier (VNI) and IP address.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein performing source MAC translation comprises:
receiving, at the first aggregate endpoint, an encapsulated frame from the first non-aggregate endpoint in the first physical proximity, wherein the encapsulated frame includes at an address resolution protocol (ARP) request;
replacing the inner source MAC address of the encapsulated frame and an ARP sender hardware address with the MAC address of the first aggregate endpoint to generate a modified encapsulated frame; and
forwarding the modified encapsulated frame to the second aggregate endpoint.

10. A method comprising:
receiving, at a first non-aggregate endpoint in a first physical proximity of a virtual overlay network, a first frame from a first host device in the first physical proximity, wherein the first frame is directed to a second host device in a second physical proximity of the virtual overlay network;
replicating, at the first non-aggregate endpoint, the first frame as replicated encapsulated frames to other endpoints within the first physical proximity, to only a second aggregate endpoint in the second physical proximity, and to only aggregate endpoints in other physical proximities of the virtual overlay network; and
replicating, by the second aggregate endpoint, the replicated encapsulated frame to only non-aggregate endpoints within the second physical proximity.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
upon receipt of a replicated encapsulated frame sent by the second aggregate endpoint, sending, by a second non-aggregate endpoint in the second physical proximity that is connected to the second host device, the first frame to the second host device.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the virtual overlay network is a Virtual Extensible Local Area Network (VXLAN) and wherein the first non-aggregate endpoint, the second non-aggregate endpoint, the first aggregate endpoint, and the second aggregate endpoint are each VXLAN tunnel endpoints (VTEPs).

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
generating, at the second host device in the second physical proximity, a unicast response frame directed to the first host device in the first physical proximity;
receiving, by the second non-aggregate endpoint, the response frame;
sending, by the second aggregate endpoint, the response frame to the first non-aggregate endpoint in the first physical proximity.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, at the first non-aggregate endpoint, endpoint forwarding information from a first controller for the first proximity; and
receiving, at the second non-aggregate endpoint and the second aggregate endpoint, forwarding information from a second controller for the second proximity,
wherein the endpoint forwarding information includes an endpoint address for a selected endpoint and an endpoint type identifier for the selected endpoint.

15. A system comprising:
a first non-aggregate endpoint in a first physical proximity of a virtual overlay network, configured to:
receive a first frame from a first host device in the first physical proximity, wherein the first frame is directed to a second host devi

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Yang Yibin
• Dong Liqin
• Tsai Chia
• Chan Weng Hong
• Zhou Yuchen
• Yang Fang
• Cai Jeffrey
• Jiang Yuefeng
• Zhang Xiaopu

Classifications

• H04L12/4633

  Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling · CPC title

• H04L61/103

  across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP] · CPC title

• H04L12/4641 Primary

  Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272) · CPC title

• H04L2012/4629

  using multilayer switching, e.g. layer 3 switching · CPC title

• H04L45/586 Primary

  of virtual routers · CPC title