Patents by Inventor Benjamin L. Pfaff

Benjamin L. Pfaff has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9306875
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a system that includes a set of network controllers for receiving definitions of first and second logical switching elements. The system includes several managed switching elements. The set of network controllers configure the several managed switching elements to implement the defined first and second logical switching elements. The system includes several network hosts that are each (1) communicatively coupled to one of the several managed switching elements and (2) associated with one of the first and second logical switching elements. Network data communicated between network hosts associated with the first logical switching element are isolated from network data communicated between network hosts associated with the second logical switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: NICIRA, INC.
    Inventors: Martin Casado, Keith E. Amidon, Benjamin L. Pfaff
  • Publication number: 20150281098
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a managed forwarding element (MFE that includes a set of flow tables including a first set of flow entries for processing packets received by the MFE. The MFE includes an aggregate cache including a second set of flow entries for processing packets received by the MFE. Each of the flow entries of the second set is for processing packets of multiple data flows. At least a subset of packet header fields of the packets of the multiple data flows have a same set of packet header field values, and a same set of operations is applied to said packets. The MFE includes an exact-match cache including a third set of flow entries for processing packets received by the MFE. Each of the flow entries of the third set is for processing packets for a single data flow having a unique set of packet header field values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Justin Pettit, Teemu Koponen, Andy Zhou, Benjamin L. Pfaff
  • Publication number: 20150180801
    Abstract: In general, the present invention relates to a virtual platform in which one or more distributed virtual switches can be created for use in virtual networking. According to some aspects, the distributed virtual switch according to the invention provides the ability for virtual and physical machines to more readily, securely, and efficiently communicate with each other even if they are not located on the same physical host and/or in the same subnet or VLAN. According other aspects, the distributed virtual switches of the invention can support integration with traditional IP networks and support sophisticated IP technologies including NAT functionality, stateful firewalling, and notifying the IP network of workload migration. According to further aspects, the virtual platform of the invention creates one or more distributed virtual switches which may be allocated to a tenant, application, or other entity requiring isolation and/or independent configuration state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Martin Casado, Paul Ingram, Keith E. Amidon, Peter J. Balland, III, Teemu Koponen, Benjamin L. Pfaff, Justin Pettit, Jesse E. Gross, IV, Daniel J. Wendlandt
  • Publication number: 20150100675
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a set of one or more network controllers that communicates with a wide range of devices, ranging from switches to appliances such as firewalls, load balancers, etc. The set of network controllers communicates with such devices to connect them to its managed virtual networks. The set of network controllers can define each virtual network through software switches and/or software appliances. To extend the control beyond software network elements, some embodiments implement a database server on each dedicated hardware. The set of network controllers accesses the database server to send management data. The hardware then translates the management data to connect to a managed virtual network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: Nicira, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Davie, Anupam Chanda, Benjamin L. Pfaff, Justin Pettit, Amar Padmanabhan
  • Publication number: 20150100704
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a set of one or more network controllers that communicates with a wide range of devices, ranging from switches to appliances such as firewalls, load balancers, etc. The set of network controllers communicates with such devices to connect them to its managed virtual networks. The set of network controllers can define each virtual network through software switches and/or software appliances. To extend the control beyond software network elements, some embodiments implement a database server on each dedicated hardware. The set of network controllers accesses the database server to send management data. The hardware then translates the management data to connect to a managed virtual network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: NICIRA, INC.
    Inventors: Bruce Davie, Anupam Chanda, Benjamin L. Pfaff, Justin Pettit, Amar Padmanabhan
  • Publication number: 20150100560
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a set of one or more network controllers that communicates with a wide range of devices, ranging from switches to appliances such as firewalls, load balancers, etc. The set of network controllers communicates with such devices to connect them to its managed virtual networks. The set of network controllers can define each virtual network through software switches and/or software appliances. To extend the control beyond software network elements, some embodiments implement a database server on each dedicated hardware. The set of network controllers accesses the database server to send management data. The hardware then translates the management data to connect to a managed virtual network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: Nicira, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Davie, Anupam Chanda, Benjamin L. Pfaff, Justin Pettit, Amar Padmanabhan
  • Patent number: 8913483
    Abstract: In a hierarchical switching architecture that includes at least one lower level managed switching element that connects to several higher level managed switching elements, some embodiments provide a method of identifying a higher level managed switching element to which the lower level managed switching element forwards a packet for further processing. The method computes a value based on a set of attributes of the packet. The method identifies a record from a hierarchy traversal table based on the computed value. The record specifies (1) a first higher level managed switching element as a primary higher level managed switching element and (2) a second higher level managed switching element as a secondary higher level managed switching element. The primary and secondary higher level managed switching elements are for forwarding the packet for further processing. The method forwards the packet to one of the higher level managed switching elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Nicira, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin L. Pfaff, Ethan J. Jackson, Teemu Koponen, Pankaj Thakkar
  • Publication number: 20130058255
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a system that includes a set of network controllers for receiving definitions of first and second logical switching elements. The system includes several managed switching elements. The set of network controllers configure the several managed switching elements to implement the defined first and second logical switching elements. The system includes several network hosts that are each (1) communicatively coupled to one of the several managed switching elements and (2) associated with one of the first and second logical switching elements. Network data communicated between network hosts associated with the first logical switching element are isolated from network data communicated between network hosts associated with the second logical switching element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Inventors: Martin Casado, Keith E. Amidon, Benjamin L. Pfaff
  • Publication number: 20130058208
    Abstract: In a hierarchical switching architecture that includes at least one lower level managed switching element that connects to several higher level managed switching elements, some embodiments provide a method of identifying a higher level managed switching element to which the lower level managed switching element forwards a packet for further processing. The method computes a distribution metric based on a set of attributes of the packet. The method performs a lookup on a hierarchy traversal table that specifies (1) a set of primary higher level managed switching elements and (2) a set of secondary higher level managed switching element. The lookup is for determining a higher level managed switching element specified in the hierarchical traversal table to forward the packet for further processing. The method forwards the packet to the determined higher level managed switching element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Inventors: Benjamin L. Pfaff, Ethan J. Jackson, Teemu Koponen, Pankaj Thakkar