Abstract: Certain embodiments described herein are generally directed to a method for managing packets at a virtual forwarding element of a hypervisor. In one example, the method includes receiving a first plurality of packets at a virtual port of the virtual forwarding element. The method further includes detecting the first plurality of packets correspond to a signature configured at the virtual port. The method also includes dropping at least one packet of the first plurality of packets at the virtual port based on detecting the first plurality corresponds to the signature. The method further includes receiving a second plurality of packets at the virtual port of the virtual forwarding element, wherein the second plurality of packets do not correspond to the signature. The method also includes forwarding the second plurality of packets to one or more destinations by the virtual forwarding element.

Abstract: The disclosure provides an approach for workload migration. Embodiments include receiving logical network resource capacity information and logical network resource utilization information relating to a plurality of host computers and to one or more logical network resources. Embodiments include determining that a virtual computing instance (VCI) is to be run on one of the plurality of host computers and determining for each respective host computer of the plurality of host computers, a respective realization cost of the VCI for the respective host computer, wherein the respective realization cost relates to the one or more logical network resources. Embodiments include selecting, based on the logical network resource capacity information, the logical network resource utilization information, and the realization cost, a target host computer for the VCI from the plurality of host computers and loading the VCI on the target host computer.

Abstract: The disclosure provides an approach for workload migration. Embodiments include receiving logical network resource capacity information and logical network resource utilization information relating to a plurality of host computers and to one or more logical network resources. Embodiments include determining that a virtual computing instance (VCI) is to be run on one of the plurality of host computers and determining for each respective host computer of the plurality of host computers, a respective realization cost of the VCI for the respective host computer, wherein the respective realization cost relates to the one or more logical network resources. Embodiments include selecting, based on the logical network resource capacity information, the logical network resource utilization information, and the realization cost, a target host computer for the VCI from the plurality of host computers and loading the VCI on the target host computer.

Abstract: The disclosure provides an approach for reducing congestion within a network, the network comprising a plurality of subnets, the plurality of subnets comprising a plurality of host machines and a plurality of virtual computing instances (VCIs) running on the plurality of host machines. Embodiments include receiving, by an edge services gateway (ESG) of a first subnet of the plurality of subnets, membership information for a group identifying a subset of the plurality of host machines. Embodiments include receiving a multicast packet directed to the group and selecting from the plurality of host machines, a replicator host machine for the multicast packet. Embodiments include sending, to the replicator host machine, the multicast packet along with metadata indicating that the replicator host machine is to replicate the multicast packet to remaining host machines of the subset of the plurality of host machines identified in the membership information for the group.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method provides mechanisms for identifying a source location in a service chaining topology. In an embodiment, a method comprises: determining, at an egress interface of a host that hosts a virtual machine (“VM”), whether a service plane MAC address (“spmac”) in a packet header of a packet, provided to the egress interface, is the same as an inner destination MAC address in the packet; in response to determining that the spmac in the packet header of the packet, provided to the egress interface, is the same as the inner destination MAC address in the packet: encapsulating the packet with a destination virtual tunnel endpoint (“VTEP”) address retrieved from a mapping of VTEP-labels onto VTEP addresses; and causing providing the packet from the egress interface of the host that hosts the VM to a source host that hosts a source guest virtual machine (“GVM”).

Abstract: A method for monitoring several data compute nodes (DCNs) on a group of managed host machines is provided. The method receives service usage data from a group of managed hosts. The service usage data identifies service usage for each of a plurality of entities associated with each managed host. The method aggregates the received service usage data. The method displays the aggregated service usage data.

Abstract: The disclosure provides an approach for reducing congestion within a network, the network comprising a plurality of subnets, the plurality of subnets comprising a plurality of host machines and a plurality of virtual computing instances (VCIs) running on the plurality of host machines. Embodiments include receiving, by an edge services gateway (ESG) of a first subnet of the plurality of subnets, membership information for a group identifying a subset of the plurality of host machines. Embodiments include receiving a multicast packet directed to the group and selecting from the plurality of host machines, a replicator host machine for the multicast packet. Embodiments include sending, to the replicator host machine, the multicast packet along with metadata indicating that the replicator host machine is to replicate the multicast packet to remaining host machines of the subset of the plurality of host machines identified in the membership information for the group.

Abstract: Example methods are provided for a host to perform multicast packet handling a software-defined networking (SDN) environment. One example method may comprise: in response to detecting, from a virtualized computing instance supported by the host, a request to join a first inner multicast group address, obtaining an outer multicast group address that is assigned to the first inner multicast group address and one or more second inner multicast group addresses; and generating and sending a request to join the outer multicast group address to one or more multicast-enabled network devices. In response to detecting an ingress encapsulated multicast packet that includes an outer header addressed to the outer multicast group address and an inner header addressed to the first inner multicast group address, the host may generate and send a decapsulated multicast packet to the virtualized computing instance that has joined the first inner multicast group address.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method provides mechanisms for identifying a source location in a service chaining topology. In an embodiment, a method comprises: determining, at an egress interface of a host that hosts a virtual machine (“VM”), whether a service plane MAC address (“spmac”) in a packet header of a packet, provided to the egress interface, is the same as an inner destination MAC address in the packet; in response to determining that the spmac in the packet header of the packet, provided to the egress interface, is the same as the inner destination MAC address in the packet: encapsulating the packet with a destination virtual tunnel endpoint (“VTEP”) address retrieved from a mapping of VTEP-labels onto VTEP addresses; and causing providing the packet from the egress interface of the host that hosts the VM to a source host that hosts a source guest virtual machine (“GVM”).

Abstract: In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method provides mechanisms for identifying a source location in a service chaining topology. In an embodiment, a method comprises: receiving a query, from a service plane implementation module executing on a host of a service virtual machine (“SVM”), for a location of a source host implementing a guest virtual machine (“source GVM”) that originated a packet in a computer network and that serviced the packet; in response to receiving the query, performing a search of bindings associated with one or more virtual network identifiers (“VNIs”) or service virtual network identifiers (“SVNIs”) to identify a particular binding that includes a MAC address of the host implementing the source GVM; identifying, in the particular binding, the location of the source host; and providing the location of the source host to the host of the SVM to facilitate forwarding of the packet from the SVM to the GVM.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for allocating to tunnel endpoints to virtual machines on a host. In one example, a host identifies when a new virtual machine is coupled to a virtual switch and determines a tenant associated with the new virtual machine. The host further determines whether a tunnel endpoint is allocated to the tenant and, when a tunnel endpoint has not been allocated, allocates a new tunnel endpoint to the tenant and maps the new virtual machine to the new tunnel endpoint.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a novel method for configuring a service data compute node (DCN) executing on a host computer to perform network services (e.g., firewall, load balancing, intrusion detection, network address translation (NAT), other middlebox services, etc.) for several DCNs executing on the host computer. The method receives, at the service DCN, an identification of a set of container specifications that will be implemented (e.g., will be executed by) the service DCN. The method then retrieves the identified set of container specifications (e.g., container images) from a container repository storing multiple received container specifications. In some embodiments, the container specifications include container images generated by a third party service partner for providing a particular service or set of services and stored in a container repository. The method then instantiates the retrieved containers to provide the identified network services to data messages received at the service DCN.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for troubleshooting a virtual network that is implemented across a plurality of computing devices. The method provides a command line interface (CLI) for receiving and executing commands for debugging and monitoring the virtual network. Each command is for communicating with a set of the computing devices in order to monitor a network service being provided by the set of computing devices. The CLI operates in multiple different contexts for monitoring multiple different types of network services. While the CLI is operating in a particular context for a particular type of network service, the method receives a command comprising a set of identifiers. The method determines the validity of the received command under the particular context. When the received command is valid under the particular context, the method transmits data to a computing device identified by the received command.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method of replicating messages for a logical network. At a particular tunnel endpoint in a particular datacenter, the method receives a message to be replicated to members of a replication group. The method replicates the message to a set of tunnel endpoints of the replication group located in a same segment of the particular datacenter as the particular tunnel endpoint. The method replicates the message to a first set of proxy endpoints of the replication group, each of which is located in a different segment of the particular datacenter and for replicating the message to tunnel endpoints located in its respective segment of the particular datacenter. The method replicates the message to a second set of proxy endpoints of the replication group, each of which is located in a different datacenter and for replicating the message to tunnel endpoints located in its respective datacenter.

Abstract: For a host that executes one or more guest virtual machines (GVMs), some embodiments provide a novel virtualization architecture for utilizing a firewall service virtual machine (SVM) on the host to check the packets sent by and/or received for the GVMs. In some embodiments, the GVMs connect to a software forwarding element (e.g., a software switch) that executes on the host to connect to each other and to other devices operating outside of the host. Instead of connecting the firewall SVM to the host's software forwarding element that connects its GVMs, the virtualization architecture of some embodiments provides an SVM interface (SVMI) through which the firewall SVM can be accessed to check the packets sent by and/or received for the GVMs.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for clustering a set of data compute nodes (DCNs), which communicate with each other more frequently, on one or more host machines. The method groups together guest DCNs (GDCNs) that (1) execute on different host machines and (2) exchange network data among themselves more frequently, in order to reduce interhost network traffic. The more frequently-communicating GDCNs can be a set of GDCNs that implement a distributed application, GDCNs of a particular tier in a multi-tier network architecture (e.g., a web tier in a three-tier architecture), GDCNs that are dedicated to a particular tenant in a hosting system, or any other set of GDCNs that exchange data among each other regularly for a particular purpose.

Abstract: A novel centralized troubleshooting tool that enables user to troubleshoot a distributed virtual network with a single consistent user interface is provided. The distributed virtual network being monitored or debugged by the centralized troubleshooting tool includes different types of logical resources (LRs) that placed or distributed across different physical endpoints (PEs). The centralized troubleshooting tool provides functions that allow the user to invoke commands on different physical endpoints in order to collect information about the logical resources running in those physical endpoints. This allows the user to compare and analyze the information from different PEs for a same LR.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method of replicating messages for a logical network. At a particular tunnel endpoint in a particular datacenter, the method receives a message to be replicated to members of a replication group. The method replicates the message to a set of tunnel endpoints of the replication group located in a same segment of the particular datacenter as the particular tunnel endpoint. The method replicates the message to a first set of proxy endpoints of the replication group, each of which is located in a different segment of the particular datacenter and for replicating the message to tunnel endpoints located in its respective segment of the particular datacenter. The method replicates the message to a second set of proxy endpoints of the replication group, each of which is located in a different datacenter and for replicating the message to tunnel endpoints located in its respective datacenter.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods to manage Internet Protocol (IP) address discovery in a software defined networking (SDN) environment. In one example, a manager may generate an IP address discovery configuration and pass the IP address discovery configuration to a controller. Once received, the controller may obtain a discovered list from a hypervisor of one or more IP addresses associated with one or more logical ports and update a realized list for the one or more logical ports based on the discovered list and the IP address discovery configuration.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods to manage blacklists and duplicate addresses in software defined networks (SDNs). In one implementation, a method includes, in a control plane and data plane of an SDN environment, obtaining a blacklist for a logical port in the SDN environment. The method further includes deleting realized address bindings in a realized address list for the logical port that match the one or more address bindings in the blacklist and preventing subsequent address bindings that match the one or more address bindings in the blacklist from being added to the realized address list.