Abstract: An example method comprises determining, by an edge services controller, based on a respective predicted resource utilization value for each of a plurality of servers, a corresponding server weight for each of the plurality of servers; the plurality of servers comprising respective network interface cards (NICs), wherein each NIC of the plurality of NICs comprises an embedded switch and a processing unit coupled to the embedded switch; determining, by the edge services controller, based on a respective predicted resource utilization value for each of a plurality of services, a corresponding application weight for each of the plurality of services; and scheduling, by the edge services controller, based on the respective server weight for a server of the plurality of servers and the respective application weight for the service, a service of the plurality of services on the server.

Abstract: A system comprises an edge services controller configured to: compute, based on a physical topology of physical links that connect a plurality of network interface cards (NICs) that comprise embedded switches and processing units coupled to the embedded switches, a virtual topology comprising a strict subset of the physical links; and program the virtual topology into the respective processing units of the NICs to cause the processing units of the NICs to send data packets via physical links in the strict subset of the physical links.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to cross configure network resources of software defined data centers are disclosed. Example instructions cause one or more processors to monitor a component of a network for a probe packet sent to the component. The example instructions cause the one or more processors to, in response to detecting the probe packet, determine whether the probe packet includes a unique source media access control (MAC) address that is included in a probe access control list (ACL), the unique source MAC address included in the probe ACL set by a decision engine. The example instructions cause the one or more processors to, in response to determining that the probe packet does not include the unique source MAC address, record probe packet receipt information indicating that the probe packet did not pass through a network port of the component and transmit the probe packet receipt information to the decision engine.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for automatically and transparently providing service proxying to virtual machines using Network Interface Cards (NICs). In some examples, a service proxy implemented by a NIC of a computing device that hosts a virtual machine may mimic sidecar service proxy behavior. A NIC-based mesh agent may automatically detect the service offered by the virtual machine and interact with control plane components to dynamically incorporate the service into a service mesh.

Abstract: A system can reduce congestion in slice-based networks, such as a virtual service network (“VSN”). The system can include a monitoring module that communicates with agents on switches, such as routers or servers. The switches report telematics data to the monitoring module, which determines slice-specific performance attributes such as slice latency and slice throughput. These slice-specific performance attributes are compared against software license agreement (“SLA”) requirements. When the SLA is not met, the monitoring module can implement a new slice path for the slice to reduce the congestion.

Abstract: An example apparatus to manage network resources includes a link aggregator to: aggregate a first plurality of physical network interface cards to create a first link aggregated group, the first link aggregated group corresponding to a first virtual network interface card; and aggregate a second plurality of physical network interface cards to create a second link aggregated group, the second link aggregated group corresponding to a second virtual network interface card; and a link manager to: connect the first link aggregated group between a first distributed virtual port and a first top-of-rack switch; connect the second link aggregated group between a second distributed virtual port and a second top-of-rack switch; and remove an invalid connection between the first plurality of physical network interface cards and the second top-of-rack switch.

Abstract: An example system including a first top-of-rack (ToR) switch, and a second ToR switch, the second ToR switch is to receive a network packet from a first host, the network packet to include a destination address of a second host, and after a failure of a physical network interface card (pNIC) at the second host eliminates a first link between the second host and the second ToR switch, send the network packet to the first ToR switch via an inter-switch link between the first and second ToR switches to cause the first ToR switch to forward the network packet to the second host via a second link between the first ToR switch and the second host.

Abstract: A disclosed example includes configuring a virtual network and a physical network for at least twenty-four hosts and a top-of-rack switch in less than one minute by: generating, by executing an instruction with one or more processors, network topologies of the hosts based on physical network connection information indicative of physical network connections between the hosts and the top-of-rack switch; determining, by executing an instruction with the one or more processors, whether implementing the network topologies of the hosts concurrently is valid based on an evaluation of the network topologies relative to a network topology validation rule; and configuring, by executing an instruction with the one or more processors, the top-of-rack switch based on one or more of the network topologies.

Abstract: Techniques are described for determining the energy usage of a data center and invoking one or more actions to improve the energy usage of the data center. For example, a computing system may obtain energy usage data of a data center. The computing system may also determine, based on a comparison of the energy usage data of the data center to a percentage of energy provided by one or more renewable energy sources to the data center, a green quotient of the data center that specifies a value that indicates whether the data center is energy efficient. The computing system may further invoke, based on the green quotient of the data center that specifies a value that indicates the data center is not energy efficient, an action to improve energy usage of the data center.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide novel methods for performing services on data messages passing through a network connecting one or more datacenters, such as software defined datacenters (SDDCs). The method of some embodiments uses service containers executing on host computers to perform different chains (e.g., ordered sequences) of services on different data message flows. For a data message of a particular data message flow that is received or generated at a host computer, the method in some embodiments uses a service classifier executing on the host computer to identify a service chain that specifies several services to perform on the data message. For each service in the identified service chain, the service classifier identifies a service container for performing the service. The service classifier then forwards the data message to a service forwarding element to forward the data message through the service containers identified for the identified service chain.

Abstract: Techniques are described for determining the energy usage of a data center and invoking one or more actions to improve the energy usage of the data center. For example, a computing system may obtain energy usage data of a data center deploying an application. The computing system may also determine, based on a comparison of the energy usage data of the data center deploying the application to a percentage of energy provided by one or more renewable energy sources to the data center, a green quotient of the application that specifies a value that indicates whether the data center deploying the application is energy efficient. The computing system may further invoke, based on the green quotient of the application that specifies a value that indicates the data center deploying the application is not energy efficient, an action to improve energy usage of the data center deploying the application.

Abstract: A performance monitoring system includes a metric collector configured to receive, via metric exporters, telemetry data comprising metrics related to a network of computing devices. A metric time series database stores related metrics. An alert rule evaluator service is configured to evaluate rules using stored metrics. The performance monitoring system may include a machine learning module and is configured to automatically determine recommended alert rules.

Abstract: A performance monitoring system includes a metric collector configured to receive, via metric exporters, telemetry data comprising metrics related to a network of computing devices. A metric time series database stores related metrics. An alert rule evaluator service is configured to evaluate rules using stored metrics. The performance monitoring system may include a machine learning module and is configured to determine optimized metric collection sampling intervals and rule evaluation intervals, and to automatically determine recommended alert rules.

Abstract: A performance monitoring system includes a metric collector configured to receive, via metric exporters, telemetry data comprising metrics related to a network of computing devices. A metric time series database stores related metrics. An alert rule evaluator service is configured to evaluate rules using stored metrics. The performance monitoring system may include a machine learning module and is configured to determine optimized metric collection sampling intervals and rule evaluation intervals, and to automatically determine recommended alert rules.

Abstract: An example first server host includes processor circuitry to: connect a virtual network interface card (vNIC) of the first server host to a first physical network interface card (pNIC) and a second pNIC of the first server host; establish an inter-switch link between first and second switches, the first switch and the first server host in a first network fabric, the second switch and a second server host in a second network fabric; and cause transmission of a first and second network packets from the vNIC of the first server host, the first and second network packets to be delivered to the second server host via the inter-switch link, the first network packet to be transmitted via the first pNIC when utilization of the first pNIC does not satisfy a threshold, the second network packet to be transmitted via the second pNIC when the utilization satisfies the threshold.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide novel methods for performing services on data messages passing through a network connecting one or more datacenters, such as software defined datacenters (SDDCs). The method of some embodiments uses service containers executing on host computers to perform different chains (e.g., ordered sequences) of services on different data message flows. For a data message of a particular data message flow that is received or generated at a host computer, the method in some embodiments uses a service classifier executing on the host computer to identify a service chain that specifies several services to perform on the data message. For each service in the identified service chain, the service classifier identifies a service container for performing the service. The service classifier then forwards the data message to a service forwarding element to forward the data message through the service containers identified for the identified service chain.

Abstract: The technology disclosed herein enables an L3 network fabric including one or more spine switches having a leaf-spine topology to be self-expanded. In a particular embodiment, a method provides transferring one or more probe messages from each of the spine switches. The probe messages detect whether new computing nodes have been attached to the communication network. The method further provides receiving a reply to at least one of the probe messages. The reply identifies a new computing node that is not yet included in the L3 fabric.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a novel method of performing network slice-based operations on a data message at a hardware forwarding element (HFE) in a network. For a received data message flow, the method has the HFE identify a network slice associated with the received data message flow. This network slice in some embodiments is associated with a set of operations to be performed on the data message by several network elements, including one or more machines executing on one or more computers in the network. Once the network slice is identified, the method has the HFE process the data message flow based on a rule that applies to data messages associated with the identified slice.

Abstract: A container orchestration platform manages a plurality of instances of resources including a first custom resource and a second custom resource. An API server of the container orchestration platform receives a request to delete an instance of the second custom resource; determines whether instance data associated with the instance of the second custom resource has a backreference identifying an instance of the first custom resource, the backreference indicating the instance of the first custom resource is dependent on the instance of the second custom resource; and in response to determining that the instance data has the backreference to the instance of the first custom resource, bypasses deletion of the instance of the second custom resource.

Abstract: A switch in a slice-based network can be used to enforce quality of service (“QoS”). Agents can run in the switches, such as in the core of each switch. The switches can sort ingress packets into slice-specific ingress queues in a slice-based pool. The slices can have different QoS prioritizations. A switch-wide policing algorithm can move the slice-specific packets to egress interfaces. Then, one or more user-defined egress policing algorithms can prioritize which packets are sent out into the network first based on slice classifications.