Generation of configuration files for a DHCP module executing within a virtualized container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9952885-B2
Application number	US-201314069327-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2013
Priority date	Aug 14, 2013
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method for an application operating on a host machine. The method receives a configuration of a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) service for implementation within a virtualized container on the host machine. The configuration includes several database table entries. The method converts the several database table entries into a configuration file for use by a process that operates in the virtualized container. the method initializes the process in the virtualized container. The process in the virtualized container reads the configuration file in order to perform DHCP services for machines connected to at least one logical forwarding element of a logical network.

First claim

We claim:

1. For an application operating on a host machine, a method comprising:
receiving a plurality of database table entries for generating a configuration file for a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) module executing within a virtualized container operating on the host machine;
determining, based on a particular entry in the received database table entries, whether the virtualized container exists on the host machine;
when the virtualized container is determined not to exist on the host machine:
creating the virtualized container on the host machine;
generating the configuration file for use by the DHCP module that executes in the virtualized container by (i) converting a first subset of the plurality of received database table entries that define a set of logical switches of a logical network for which DHCP service is provided into subnet data that is stored in the configuration file for use by the DHCP module and (ii) converting a second subset of the plurality of received database table entries that define machines connected to the logical switches into address bindings that are stored in the configuration file for use by the DHCP module; and
initializing the DHCP module in the virtualized container, wherein the DHCP module reads the configuration file in order to provide DHCP service for the machines connected to the set of logical switches, wherein the machines connected to a particular one of the logical switches operate on a plurality of additional host machines and communicate with the DHCP module on the host machine.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular entry comprises a definition of the virtualized container and a particular field that specifies enabling of the DHCP service for the virtualized container.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the particular entry defining the virtualized container enables additional services for the virtualized container to be provided to the logical switch.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the DHCP module that executes in the virtualized container reads the configuration file at startup and instantiates a plurality of objects for entities defined in the configuration file.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of objects comprises objects for (i) groups that represent the logical switches that receive the DHCP service and (ii) hosts that represent the machines connected to the logical switches.

6. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program for execution by at least one processing unit of a host machine, the program comprising sets of instructions for:
receiving a plurality of database table entries for generating a configuration file for a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) module executing within a virtualized container operating on the host machine;
determining, based on a particular entry in the received database table entries, whether the virtualized container exists on the host machine;
when the virtualized container is determined not to exist on the host machine:
creating the virtualized container on the host machine;
generating the configuration file for use by the DHCP module that executes in the virtualized container by (i) converting a first subset of the plurality of received database table entries that define a set of logical switches of a logical network for which DHCP service is provided into subnet data that is stored in the configuration file for use by the DHCP module and (ii) converting a second subset of the plurality of received database table entries that define machines connected to the logical switches into address bindings that are stored in the configuration file for use by the DHCP module; and
initializing the DHCP module in the virtualized container, wherein the DHCP module reads the configuration file in order to provide DHCP service for the machines connected to the set of logical switches, wherein the machines connected to a particular one of the logical switches operate on a plurality of additional host machines and communicate with the DHCP module on the host machine.

7. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the particular entry comprises a definition of the virtualized container and a particular field that specifies enabling of the DHCP service for the virtualized container.

8. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the particular entry enables additional services for the virtualized container to be provided to the logical switch.

9. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the DHCP module that executes in the virtualized container reads the configuration file at startup and instantiates a plurality of objects for entities defined in the configuration file, wherein the plurality of objects comprises objects for (i) groups that represent the logical switches that receive the DHCP service and (ii) hosts that represent the machines connected to the logical switches.

10. A host machine comprising:
a set of processing units; and
a non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program for execution by at least one of the processing units, the program comprising sets of instructions for:
receiving a plurality of database table entries for generating a configuration file for a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) module executing within a virtualized container operating on the host machine;
determining, based on a particular entry in the received database table entries, whether the virtualized container exists on the host machine;
when the virtualized container is determined not to exist on the host machine:
creating the virtualized container on the host machine;
generating the configuration file for use by the DHCP module that executes in the virtualized container by (i) converting a first subset of the plurality of received database table entries that define a set of logical switches of a logical network for which DHCP service is provided into subnet data that is stored in the configuration file for use by the DHCP module and (ii) converting a second subset of the plurality of received database table entries that define machines connected to the logical switches into address bindings that are stored in the configuration file for use by the DHCP module; and
initializing the DHCP module in the virtualized container, wherein the DHCP module reads the configuration file in order to provide DHCP service for the machines connected to the set of logical switches, wherein the machines connected to a particular one of the logical switches operate on a plurality of additional host machines and communicate with the DHCP module on the host machine.

11. The host machine of claim 10 , wherein the particular entry comprises a definition of the virtualized container and a particular field that specifies enabling of the DHCP service for the virtualized container.

12. The host machine of claim 11 , wherein the particular entry defining the virtualized container enables additional services for the virtualized container to be provided to the logical switch.

13. The host machine of claim 10 , wherein the DHCP module that executes in the virtualized container reads the configuration file at startup and instantiates a plurality of objects for entities defined in the configuration file.

14. The host machine of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of objects comprises objects for (i) groups that represent the logical switches that receive the DHCP service and (ii) hosts that represent the machines connected to the logical switches.

Assignees

• Nicira Inc

Inventors

• Chanda Anupam
• Thakkar Pankaj
• Ganichev Igor
• Zhang Ronghua
• Atteka Ansis

Classifications

• H04L61/2015

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06F9/44505

  Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files · CPC title

• G06F9/455 Primary

  Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines · CPC title

• H04L61/103

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

• H04L61/5014 Primary

  using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP] · CPC title