Abstract: Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) states of an active device are replicated at a backup device configured to track connections in a software defined network (SDN). The backup device receives, from the active device, a TCP packet with a TCP flag including one or more of SYN, SYN-ACK, ACK, FIN, FIN-ACK, ACK, or RESET. When the TCP packet has a SYN flag, the backup device adds a connection record to a connection table. Otherwise, the backup device derives an updated connection state for the connection record using a TCP state machine. The connection state is updated as future packets are received by the backup device.

Abstract: Flows of a communication session in a software defined network (SDN) are efficiently managed. A network virtual appliance offloads, to a hardware-based network interface device, processing of data packets of a flow in accordance with packet processing rules associated with the flow. After the offload, subsequent data packets for the offloaded flow are processed and forwarded by the hardware-based network interface device without forwarding to the network virtual appliance.

Abstract: Bidirectional flows of a communication session in a software defined network (SDN) are efficiently managed. A smart switch comprises a digital processing unit (DPU) complex comprising one or more DPUs, and a switching complex comprising one or more network processing units (NPUs). The DPU complex is configured to disaggregate enforcement of policies of the SDN from hosts of the SDN. The switching complex is configured to perform network routing of packets in the SDN. The hosts are implemented on servers communicatively coupled to network interfaces of the SDN. The switching complex is configured to perform policy enforcement of data flows for communication sessions that are offloaded from the DPU complex to the switching complex.

Abstract: A disclosed method facilitates bidirectional traffic flows between a multi-tenant service and endpoints with private customer internet protocol (IP) addresses. The method provides for receiving a data packet having a data packet header identifying a first IPv6 address as a destination. The first IPv6 address embeds a first IPv4 address and a virtual network (VNet) identifier uniquely identifying a VNet of a cloud compute platform. The method further provides for routing the data packet to a host node within the cloud compute platform that hosts a virtual machine (VM) within the VNet identified by the VNet identifier and assigned to the first IPv4 address.

Abstract: Data flows in a virtualized computing environment are efficiently updated by a hardware-based networking device configured to disaggregate processing of data packets of the data flows from hosts of the virtualized computing environment. A connection table is accessed that defines connection flows for data packets having a source from an endpoint in a virtual network of the virtualized computing environment or a destination to the endpoint in the virtual network of the virtualized computing environment. The hardware-based networking device re-simulates full packet processing paths for each of the flows in the connection table and updates the flows in the connection table to ensure that the flows in the connection table implement policies of the virtualized computing environment that were updated after corresponding flows in the connection table were added to the connection table.

Abstract: An enhanced router is described that improves network performance for AI workloads by providing in-network primitives that improve the performance of operations such as Broadcast and Reduce operations. The enhanced router is configured to execute primitives for data payloads in packets associated with the workloads in the network prior to forwarding the packets to hosts. The network device receives, via a control plane, a primitive indicative of an analytical, computational, or transformative operation to be performed on data payloads transmitted by data packets associated with a workload being processed in an SDN. The primitive is associated with a protocol for configuring network devices to perform in-network acceleration of workloads in coordination with source and destination hosts in the SDN.

Abstract: High availability network services are provided in a in a virtual computing environment comprising a plurality of network devices running in a software defined network (SDN) of the virtual computing environment, the network devices comprising a plurality of SDN appliances configured to disaggregate enforcement of policies of the SDN from hosts of the virtual computing environment, the hosts implemented on servers communicatively coupled to network interfaces of the SDN appliances, the servers hosting a plurality of virtual machines, the SDN appliance comprising a plurality of smart network interface cards (fNICs) configured to implement functionality of the SDN appliances.

Abstract: An enhanced router is described that improves network performance for AI workloads by providing in-network primitives that improve the performance of operations such as Broadcast and Reduce operations. The enhanced router leverages the observation that operations such as the Broadcast and Reduce primitives are more performant (e.g., reduced latency and bandwidth) when performed in the network rather than in graphics processing unites (GPUs) or central processing units (CPUs) which are often deployed as leaf nodes in a typical network topology in a datacenter.

Abstract: High availability network services are provided in a in a virtual computing environment comprising a plurality of network devices running in a software defined network (SDN) of the virtual computing environment, the network devices comprising a plurality of SDN appliances configured to disaggregate enforcement of policies of the SDN from hosts of the virtual computing environment, the hosts implemented on servers communicatively coupled to network interfaces of the SDN appliances, the servers hosting a plurality of virtual machines, the SDN appliance comprising a plurality of smart network interface cards (fNICs) configured to implement functionality of the SDN appliances.

Abstract: Bidirectional flows of a communication session in a software defined network (SDN) are efficiently managed. A smart switch comprises a digital processing unit (DPU) complex comprising one or more DPUs, and a switching complex comprising one or more network processing units (NPUs). The DPU complex is configured to disaggregate enforcement of policies of the SDN from hosts of the SDN. The switching complex is configured to perform network routing of packets in the SDN. The hosts are implemented on servers communicatively coupled to network interfaces of the SDN. The switching complex is configured to perform policy enforcement of data flows for communication sessions that are offloaded from the DPU complex to the switching complex.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets and implementing policies in a software defined network (SDN) of a virtual computing environment. A plurality of computing nodes are communicatively coupled to network devices. The computing nodes are configured to provide at least one cloud edge processing function. The network devices are configured to enable communications between virtual machines within a virtual network of the virtual computing environment in accordance with associated policies. The network devices and the processing function are disaggregated from dependencies on particular computing nodes that are hosting the virtual machines.

Abstract: Techniques are described for managing connection states at an active network appliance and a backup network appliance. The active network appliance and backup network appliance are configured to process connections in a software defined network (SDN). The active network appliance is configured to actively process connections, and the backup network appliance maintains connection states such that the backup network appliance can actively process connections in response to a failure of the active network appliance.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets and implementing policies in a software defined network (SDN) of a virtual computing environment. A plurality of servers are communicatively coupled to network interfaces of one of a skinny NIC or a smart NIC. The skinny NIC is configured to provide network interfaces for virtual machines hosted on a corresponding server. The smart NIC is configured to enable virtual machine communications within a virtual network in accordance with associated policies.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets and implementing policies in a software defined network (SDN) of a virtual computing environment. A plurality of computing nodes are communicatively coupled to network devices. The network devices are configured to enable communications between virtual machines within a virtual network of the virtual computing environment in accordance with associated policies. The network devices and the processing function are disaggregated from dependencies on particular computing nodes that are hosting the virtual machines.

Abstract: Described herein is a system and method of connectivity migration of an executing virtual application and/or guest operating system. State associated with a first instance of an application and/or a guest operating system executing on a first virtual machine is captured. Information regarding connectivity state associated with a plurality of running connections between the first virtual machine and client device(s) is also captured (e.g., layers 2, 3 and 4). The captured state information can be provided to a second virtual machine which utilizes the captured station information to establish state for a second instance of the application, a second instance of the guest operating system, and/or connectivity of the plurality of running connections between the second virtual machine and client device(s). The state of the second instance of the application can be synchronized with the state of the second instance of the guest operating system.

Abstract: The programmatical invocation of a chatbot is disclosed. An application may detect a trigger condition associated with user interaction with the application, and, in response, invoke a chatbot. During chatbot invocation, the application provides contextual information to the chatbot to select a conversational workflow and input data to populate the controls of the selected conversational workflow. The populated conversation workflow is then displayed to the user in a graphical user interface. The user may then provide user input to the conversational workflow. The chatbot advances the conversation based on the user input.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for dynamically adjusting a throttling threshold in a multi-tenant virtualized computing environment. System health parameters are collected during a predetermined time interval. A system health status of the multi-tenant virtualized computing environment is determined. Based on the system health status, a throttling threshold for service requests for the multi-tenant virtualized computing environment is determined. The throttling threshold is applied for further service requests. During a subsequent time interval, an updated system health status of the multi-tenant virtualized computing environment is determined based on system health parameters received during the subsequent time interval. The throttling threshold is updated based on the updated system health status. The updated throttling threshold is applied for further service requests.

Abstract: A virtual network comprising virtual machines executing at a computing environment remote from the virtualized computing service provider is implemented. A control plane management functions is configured to provide and implement the virtual machines of the virtual network and executed at the virtualized computing service provider. Data plane management functions are configured to manage data traffic to and from the virtual machines of the virtual network and executed at the remote computing environment. A secure network connection between the virtualized computing service provider and the remote computing environment is established. The control plane management functions cause instantiation of the virtual machines of the virtual network at the remote computing environment. Using the control plane management functions executing at the virtualized computing service provider, operation of the virtual machines of the virtual network is managed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating a consistent blockchain including block commitment determinations are disclosed herein. An example method includes receiving a request for blockchain data from an application or a user, receiving proposed canonical heads from a plurality of blockchain nodes, receiving votes to determine a correct state for a consistent blockchain that includes a canonical head, the blockchain data being included in the consistent view of a blockchain, determining the canonical head based on the votes, determining a commitment level for at least one block in the consistent view of the blockchain, providing the consistent view of the blockchain to the application or the user, and exposing the commitment level for the at least one block.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for supporting multicast for virtual networks. In some embodiments, a native multicast approach can utilized in which packet replication is performed on a host node of a virtual machine (VM) with a multicast data packet encapsulated in uniquely address unicast packets. In some embodiments, a network virtual appliance can be utilized. A multicast packet sent from the VM can be unicasted to the network virtual appliance. The multicast appliance can then replicate the packet into multiple copies and send the packets to the receivers in the virtual network as unicast data packets encapsulating the multicast packet.