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.

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: 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: Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets by a hardware-based networking device configured to disaggregate processing of data packets from hosts of a virtualized computing environment. The hardware-based networking device includes a hardware-based component implementing a plurality of behavioral models indicative of packet processing graphs for data flows in the virtualized computing environment. A data packet having a source from or destination to an endpoint in a virtual network of the virtualized computing environment is received. Based on determining that the data packet is a first packet of a data flow to or from the endpoint, one of the behavioral models is mapped to the data flow. The packet is modified in accordance with the mapped behavioral model. A state of the data flow is stored. Subsequent data packets of the data flow are processed based on the stored state.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets and implementing policies in a software defined network (SDN) of a virtual computing environment. At least two SDN appliances are configured to disaggregate enforcement of policies of the SDN from hosts of the virtual computing environment. The hosts are implemented on servers communicatively coupled to network interfaces of the SDN appliance. The servers host a plurality of virtual machines. The servers are communicatively coupled to network interfaces of at least two top-of-rack switches (ToRs). The SDN appliance comprises a plurality of smart network interface cards (sNICs) configured to implement functionality of the SDN appliance. The sNICs have a floating network interface configured to provide a virtual port connection to an endpoint within a virtual network of the virtual computing environment.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets and implementing policies in a software defined network (SDN) of a virtual computing environment. At least one SDN appliance is configured to disaggregate enforcement of policies of the SDN from hosts of the virtual computing environment. The servers are communicatively coupled to network interfaces of the SDN appliance. The servers host a plurality of virtual machines The SDN appliance comprises a plurality of smart network interface cards (sNICs) configured to implement functionality of the SDN appliance.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets and implementing policies in a software defined network (SDN) of a virtual computing environment. At least two SDN appliances are configured to disaggregate enforcement of policies of the SDN from hosts of the virtual computing environment. The hosts are implemented on servers communicatively coupled to network interfaces of the SDN appliance. The servers host a plurality of virtual machines. The servers are communicatively coupled to network interfaces of at least two top-of-rack switches (ToRs). The SDN appliance comprises a plurality of smart network interface cards (sNICs) configured to implement functionality of the SDN appliance. The sNICs have a floating network interface configured to provide a virtual port connection to an endpoint within a virtual network of the virtual computing environment.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets and implementing policies in a software defined network (SDN) of a virtual computing environment. At least two SDN appliances are configured to disaggregate enforcement of policies of the SDN from hosts of the virtual computing environment. The hosts are implemented on servers communicatively coupled to network interfaces of the SDN appliance. The servers host a plurality of virtual machines. The servers are communicatively coupled to network interfaces of at least two top-of-rack switches (ToRs). The SDN appliance comprises a plurality of smart network interface cards (sNICs) configured to implement functionality of the SDN appliance. The sNICs have a floating network interface configured to provide a virtual port connection to an endpoint within a virtual network of the virtual computing environment.

Abstract: Distributed computing systems, devices, and associated methods of packet processing are disclosed herein. One example method includes receiving a packet having a header with a protocol field, a source address field, a source port field, a destination address field, and a destination port field individually containing a corresponding value. The method also includes extracting the values of the protocol field, the source address field, the source port field, the destination field, and the destination port field, determining whether a first match action table (“MAT”) contains an entry indexed to the extracted values, and in response to determining that the first MAT does not contain an entry indexed to the extracted values, using a subset of the extracted values to identify an entry in a second MAT.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets and implementing policies in a software defined network (SDN) of a virtual computing environment. At least two SDN appliances are configured to disaggregate enforcement of policies of the SDN from hosts of the virtual computing environment. The hosts are implemented on servers communicatively coupled to network interfaces of the SDN appliance. The servers host a plurality of virtual machines. The servers are communicatively coupled to network interfaces of at least two top-of-rack switches (ToRs). The SDN appliance comprises a plurality of smart network interface cards (sNICs) configured to implement functionality of the SDN appliance. The sNICs have a floating network interface configured to provide a virtual port connection to an endpoint within a virtual network of the virtual computing environment.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets by a hardware-based networking device configured to disaggregate processing of data packets from hosts of a virtualized computing environment. The hardware-based networking device includes a hardware-based component implementing a plurality of behavioral models indicative of packet processing graphs for data flows in the virtualized computing environment. A data packet having a source from or destination to an endpoint in a virtual network of the virtualized computing environment is received. Based on determining that the data packet is a first packet of a data flow to or from the endpoint, one of the behavioral models is mapped to the data flow. The packet is modified in accordance with the mapped behavioral model. A state of the data flow is stored. Subsequent data packets of the data flow are processed based on the stored state.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets and implementing policies in a software defined network (SDN) of a virtual computing environment. At least one SDN appliance is configured to disaggregate enforcement of policies of the SDN from hosts of the virtual computing environment. The servers are communicatively coupled to network interfaces of the SDN appliance. The servers host a plurality of virtual machines The SDN appliance comprises a plurality of smart network interface cards (sNICs) configured to implement functionality of the SDN appliance.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets and implementing policies in a software defined network (SDN) of a virtual computing environment. At least two SDN appliances are configured to disaggregate enforcement of policies of the SDN from hosts of the virtual computing environment. The hosts are implemented on servers communicatively coupled to network interfaces of the SDN appliance. The servers host a plurality of virtual machines. The servers are communicatively coupled to network interfaces of at least two top-of-rack switches (ToRs). The SDN appliance comprises a plurality of smart network interface cards (sNICs) configured to implement functionality of the SDN appliance. The sNICs have a floating network interface configured to provide a virtual port connection to an endpoint within a virtual network of the virtual computing environment.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for processing data packets and implementing policies in a software defined network (SDN) of a virtual computing environment. At least two SDN appliances are configured to disaggregate enforcement of policies of the SDN from hosts of the virtual computing environment. The hosts are implemented on servers communicatively coupled to network interfaces of the SDN appliance. The servers host a plurality of virtual machines. The servers are communicatively coupled to network interfaces of at least two top-of-rack switches (ToRs). The SDN appliance comprises a plurality of smart network interface cards (sNICs) configured to implement functionality of the SDN appliance. The sNICs have a floating network interface configured to provide a virtual port connection to an endpoint within a virtual network of the virtual computing environment.

Abstract: A network appliance is configured to receive a packet having an address of a custom device as a source address. Policies are accessed that are applicable to a virtual network associated with the custom device. The policies are applied to the packet. A hairpin layer redirects the packet to a destination address contained in the packet. For subsequent packets, application of the policies is bypassed to the subsequent packets. Application of the policies is offloaded to an acceleration device.

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.

Abstract: The disclosed system implements techniques to enable a tenant of a cloud-based platform to effectively and efficiently apply a policy that copies data packets communicated to or from a virtual machine in the tenant's own virtual network. When applied, the policy mirrors data traffic associated with a workload executing on a virtual machine in the tenant's virtual network. To mirror the data traffic, a copy of a data packet is streamed to another virtual machine so that network analytics can be performed (e.g., performance analytics, security analytics, etc.). In various examples, the policy can be a role-based mirroring policy that defines a plurality of roles in association with a role-based access model that scales operations and that provides improved security for a tenant's virtual network.

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.

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.

Abstract: A network appliance is configured to receive a packet having an address of a custom device as a source address. Policies are accessed that are applicable to a virtual network associated with the custom device. The policies are applied to the packet. A hairpin layer redirects the packet to a destination address contained in the packet. For subsequent packets, application of the policies is bypassed to the subsequent packets. Application of the policies is offloaded to an acceleration device.