Abstract: Example methods and systems for logical overlay tunnel monitoring are described. One example may involve a first computer system obtaining control information identifying a list of multiple logical overlay tunnels to be monitored, including a first logical overlay tunnel between a first virtual tunnel endpoint (VTEP) and a second VTEP. Based on the control information, a first monitoring agent may configure and inject a probe packet at the first VTEP to cause the first VTEP to perform encapsulation and send an encapsulated probe packet over the first logical overlay tunnel. In response, an encapsulated response packet that includes a response packet may be received from the second monitoring agent over the first logical overlay tunnel. Based on the response packet, a tunnel performance metric associated with the first logical overlay tunnel may be determined.

Abstract: Example methods and systems for logical overlay tunnel monitoring are described. One example may involve a first computer system obtaining control information identifying a list of multiple logical overlay tunnels to be monitored, including a first logical overlay tunnel between a first virtual tunnel endpoint (VTEP) and a second VTEP. Based on the control information, a first monitoring agent may configure and inject a probe packet at the first VTEP to cause the first VTEP to perform encapsulation and send an encapsulated probe packet over the first logical overlay tunnel. In response, an encapsulated response packet that includes a response packet may be received from the second monitoring agent over the first logical overlay tunnel. Based on the response packet, a tunnel performance metric associated with the first logical overlay tunnel may be determined.

Abstract: Example methods are provided for a host to perform packet handling based on a microprocessor architecture configuration that includes a first node and a second node. One example method may comprise detecting, from a virtualized computing instance supported by the host, an egress packet for transmission to a destination via one of multiple physical network interface controllers (PNICs) of the host. The method may also comprise: identifying the first node assigned to the virtualized computing instance and selecting a first PNIC associated with the first node assigned to the virtualized computing instance. The multiple PNICs may include the first PNIC, and a second PNIC associated with the second node. The method may further comprise sending the egress packet to the destination via the first PNIC associated with the first node.

Abstract: Example methods are provided for first host to perform multicast packet handling in a software-defined networking (SDN) environment. The method may comprise: in response to the first host detecting, from a first virtualized computing instance, a request to join a multicast group address, obtaining control information from a network management entity. The control information may include one or more destination addresses associated with one or more second hosts that have joined the multicast group address on behalf of multiple second virtualized computing instances. The method may also comprise: in response to the first host detecting an egress multicast packet that includes an inner header addressed to the multicast group address, generating one or more encapsulated multicast packets based on the control information and sending the one or more encapsulated multicast packets in a unicast manner or multicast manner, or a combination of both.

Abstract: Example methods are provided for a host to perform multicast packet handling in a logical network. The method comprise in response to detecting a request to join a multicast group address, a hypervisor modifying the request by replacing a first address associated with a virtualized computing instance with a second address associated with the hypervisor; and sending the modified request to join the multicast group address on behalf of the virtualized computing instance. The method may also comprise: in response to detecting an egress multicast packet, the hypervisor encapsulating the egress multicast packet with an outer header that is addressed from the second address to the multicast group address; and sending the encapsulated egress multicast packet via one or more multicast-enabled network devices that are capable of forwarding, based on the outer header, the encapsulated egress multicast packet to one or more destinations that have joined the multicast group address.

Abstract: Example methods are provided for first host to perform multicast packet handling in a software-defined networking (SDN) environment. The method may comprise: in response to the first host detecting, from a first virtualized computing instance, a request to join a multicast group address, obtaining control information from a network management entity. The control information may include one or more destination addresses associated with one or more second hosts that have joined the multicast group address on behalf of multiple second virtualized computing instances. The method may also comprise: in response to the first host detecting an egress multicast packet that includes an inner header addressed to the multicast group address, generating one or more encapsulated multicast packets based on the control information and sending the one or more encapsulated multicast packets in a unicast manner or multicast manner, or a combination of both.

Abstract: A method for a hypervisor supported by a source host to implement a port mirroring session in a virtualized computing environment includes receiving a packet passing through a first virtual port supported by the source host, wherein the packet is destined for a destination virtual machine on a destination host. The method also includes based on a first media access control (MAC) address of a first virtual network interface controller (VNIC) associated with a first monitoring virtual machine (VM), obtaining a first IP address associated with a first host that supports the first VNIC and the first monitoring VM, generating a port mirroring packet with the first IP address and a mirrored copy of the packet, wherein the port mirroring packet comprises a first Generic Network Virtualization Encapsulation (Geneve) base header, which includes the first MAC address, and transmitting the port mirroring packet to the first host.

Abstract: An example method for a first host to perform traffic replication in a software-defined networking (SDN) environment may include obtaining control information that includes a first identifier associated with a first replication domain to which the first host and a second host are assigned, and a second identifier associated with a second replication domain to which a third host is assigned. In response to detecting, from a virtualized computing instance, a packet that requires replication, the method also includes, generating a first encapsulated packet by encapsulating the packet with a first outer header that includes the first identifier, generating a second encapsulated packet by encapsulating the packet with a second outer header that includes the first identifier or the second identifier, and sending the first encapsulated packet to the second host, and the second encapsulated packet to third host to cause the third host to perform replication within the second replication domain.

Abstract: Example methods are provided for first host to perform multicast packet handling in a software-defined networking (SDN) environment. The method may comprise: in response to the first host detecting, from a first virtualized computing instance, a request to join a multicast group address, obtaining control information from a network management entity. The control information may include one or more destination addresses associated with one or more second hosts that have joined the multicast group address on behalf of multiple second virtualized computing instances. The method may also comprise: in response to the first host detecting an egress multicast packet that includes an inner header addressed to the multicast group address, generating one or more encapsulated multicast packets based on the control information and sending the one or more encapsulated multicast packets in a unicast manner or multicast manner, or a combination of both.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a system for lossless packet monitoring in a virtualized. The system, using a virtual tap, intercepts packets from a data compute node operating on a host machine, between the data compute node (DCN) and a managed forwarding element on the host. As part of the lossless packet mirroring, the virtual tap forwards data files related to the mirrored packets to a traffic monitoring. The traffic monitoring application stores the data received from the virtual tap and is capable of performing analytics on the stored data. In some embodiments, the system also includes a central controller that communicates with the other elements of the system to manage the traffic monitoring.

Abstract: Example methods are provided for a host to perform packet handling based on a microprocessor architecture configuration that includes a first node and a second node. One example method may comprise detecting, from a virtualized computing instance supported by the host, an egress packet for transmission to a destination via one of multiple physical network interface controllers (PNICs) of the host. The method may also comprise: identifying the first node assigned to the virtualized computing instance and selecting a first PNIC associated with the first node assigned to the virtualized computing instance. The multiple PNICs may include the first PNIC, and a second PNIC associated with the second node. The method may further comprise sending the egress packet to the destination via the first PNIC associated with the first node.

Abstract: Example methods are provided for a network management entity to implement port mirroring in a virtualized computing environment. The method may comprise configuring a port mirroring session between a source virtual port and a destination virtual port. A source host may be configured using source session information and a destination host configured using destination session information such that packets passing through the source virtual port are mirrored and sent from the source host to the destination host. The method may also comprise: in response to detecting a status associated with the source virtual port, or the destination virtual port, that requires a reconfiguration of the port mirroring session, generating and send a first instruction to update the source session information at the source host, or a second instruction to update the destination session information at the destination host, or both.

Abstract: A method for a hypervisor supported by a source host to implement a port mirroring session in a virtualized computing environment includes receiving a packet passing through a first virtual port supported by the source host, wherein the packet is destined for a destination virtual machine on a destination host. The method also includes based on a first media access control (MAC) address of a first virtual network interface controller (VNIC) associated with a first monitoring virtual machine (VM), obtaining a first IP address associated with a first host that supports the first VNIC and the first monitoring VM, generating a port mirroring packet with the first IP address and a mirrored copy of the packet, wherein the port mirroring packet comprises a first Generic Network Virtualization Encapsulation (Geneve) base header, which includes the first MAC address, and transmitting the port mirroring packet to the first host.

Abstract: A method for a hypervisor supported by a source host to implement a port mirroring session in a virtualized computing environment includes receiving a packet passing through a first virtual port supported by the source host, wherein the packet is destined for a destination virtual machine on a destination host. The method also includes based on a first media access control (MAC) address of a first virtual network interface controller (VNIC) associated with a first monitoring virtual machine (VM), obtaining a first IP address associated with a first host that supports the first VNIC and the first monitoring VM, generating a port mirroring packet with the first IP address and a mirrored copy of the packet, wherein the port mirroring packet comprises a first Generic Network Virtualization Encapsulation (Geneve) base header, which includes the first MAC address, and transmitting the port mirroring packet to the first host.

Abstract: An example method for a first host to perform traffic replication in a software-defined networking (SDN) environment may include obtaining control information that includes a first identifier associated with a first replication domain to which the first host and a second host are assigned, and a second identifier associated with a second replication domain to which a third host is assigned. In response to detecting, from a virtualized computing instance, a packet that requires replication, the method also includes, generating a first encapsulated packet by encapsulating the packet with a first outer header that includes the first identifier, generating a second encapsulated packet by encapsulating the packet with a second outer header that includes the first identifier or the second identifier, and sending the first encapsulated packet to the second host, and the second encapsulated packet to third host to cause the third host to perform replication within the second replication domain.

Abstract: An example method is provided for a host to perform network configuration health check in a virtualized computing environment. The method may include selecting a source NIC and one or more destination NICs, based on a first network configuration of the host, generating one or more unicast probe packets that are addressed from the source NIC to the respective one or more destination NICs, and sending the one or more unicast probe packets to the respective one or more destination NICs from the source NIC via a physical switch connected to the host. The method may also include in response to receiving the one or more unicast probe packets from the physical switch, determining that there is a match between the first network configuration and a second network configuration, but otherwise, determining that there is a mismatch between the first network configuration and second network configuration.

Abstract: Example methods are provided for first host to perform multicast packet handling in a software-defined networking (SDN) environment. The method may comprise: in response to the first host detecting, from a first virtualized computing instance, a request to join a multicast group address, obtaining control information from a network management entity. The control information may include one or more destination addresses associated with one or more second hosts that have joined the multicast group address on behalf of multiple second virtualized computing instances. The method may also comprise: in response to the first host detecting an egress multicast packet that includes an inner header addressed to the multicast group address, generating one or more encapsulated multicast packets based on the control information and sending the one or more encapsulated multicast packets in a unicast manner or multicast manner, or a combination of both.

Abstract: A method for a hypervisor supported by a source host to implement a port mirroring session in a virtualized computing environment includes receiving a packet passing through a first virtual port supported by the source host, wherein the packet is destined for a destination virtual machine on a destination host. The method also includes based on a first media access control (MAC) address of a first virtual network interface controller (VNIC) associated with a first monitoring virtual machine (VM), obtaining a first IP address associated with a first host that supports the first VNIC and the first monitoring VM, generating a port mirroring packet with the first IP address and a mirrored copy of the packet, wherein the port mirroring packet comprises a first Generic Network Virtualization Encapsulation (Geneve) base header, which includes the first MAC address, and transmitting the port mirroring packet to the first host.

Abstract: Example methods are provided for a host to perform multicast packet handling in a logical network. The method comprise in response to detecting a request to join a multicast group address, a hypervisor modifying the request by replacing a first address associated with a virtualized computing instance with a second address associated with the hypervisor; and sending the modified request to join the multicast group address on behalf of the virtualized computing instance. The method may also comprise: in response to detecting an egress multicast packet, the hypervisor encapsulating the egress multicast packet with an outer header that is addressed from the second address to the multicast group address; and sending the encapsulated egress multicast packet via one or more multicast-enabled network devices that are capable of forwarding, based on the outer header, the encapsulated egress multicast packet to one or more destinations that have joined the multicast group address.

Abstract: Example methods are provided for a network management entity to implement port mirroring in a virtualized computing environment. The method may comprise configuring a port mirroring session between a source virtual port and a destination virtual port. A source host may be configured using source session information and a destination host configured using destination session information such that packets passing through the source virtual port are mirrored and sent from the source host to the destination host. The method may also comprise: in response to detecting a status associated with the source virtual port, or the destination virtual port, that requires a reconfiguration of the port mirroring session, generating and send a first instruction to update the source session information at the source host, or a second instruction to update the destination session information at the destination host, or both.