Abstract: A logical routing element (LRE) having multiple designated instances for routing packets from physical hosts (PH) to a logical network is provided. A PH in a network segment with multiple designated instances can choose among the multiple designated instances for sending network traffic to other network nodes in the logical network according to a load balancing algorithm. Each logical interface (LIF) of an LRE is defined to be addressable by multiple identifiers or addresses, and each LIF identifier or address is assigned to a different designated instance.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a mechanism for optimized application performance in SD-WAN, and includes the steps of receiving initial traffic packets at a first site for transmission to a second site; determining whether a direct tunnel is established between the first site and the second site based on a state of the second site, the state comprising an active state indicating that a direct tunnel is established between the first and second sites or an inactive state indicating that the direct tunnel is not established between the first and second sites; and in response to determining that the direct tunnel is not established, determining that the initial packets satisfy a configured trigger; forwarding the initial packets to the second site via a backup path; establishing the direct tunnel between the first and second sites; and forwarding subsequent traffic packets to the second site via the established direct tunnel.

Abstract: Virtualization software that includes a VDRB (virtual distributed router/bridge) module for performing L3 routing and/or bridging operations is provided. At least some of the VDRBs are configured as VDBs (virtual distributed bridge) for performing bridging operations between different network segments in a distributed manner. The bridging tasks of a network are partitioned among several VDBs of the network based on MAC addresses. MAC addresses of VMs or other types of network nodes belonging to an overlay logical network are partitioned into several shards, each shard of MAC addresses assigned to a VDB in the network. Each VDB assigned a shard of MAC addresses performs bridging when it receives a packet bearing a MAC address belonging to its assigned shard. A VDB does not perform bridging on packets that do not have MAC address that falls within the VDB's shard of MAC addresses.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes providing a first profile to a plurality of edge routers of the SD-WAN, the plurality of edge routers operable to interface a plurality of devices to the SD-WAN. The first profile enables the plurality of edge routers to discover which devices of the plurality of devices support a first application. The method includes receiving, from one or more of the edge routers, information indicating which devices of the plurality of devices support the first application and building a first application fabric based on the information indicating which devices of the plurality of devices support the first application.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for receiving bandwidth metrics from a plurality of routers on respective link routes in a network, compiling a link database including the bandwidth metrics of each respective link route in the network, selecting a first designated link path from the link database between a first router and a second router based on an application routing policy, the application routing policy being based on a routing metric, providing a first multiprotocol label switching label based on the first designated link path to the first router of the plurality of routers in the network, and restricting network traffic of the first router to the first designated link path provided in the first multiprotocol label switching label.

Abstract: A novel method for fully utilizing the multicast or broadcast capability of a physical network is provided. The method identifies segments of the network within which broadcast traffic, multicast traffic, or traffic to unknown recipients (BUM traffic) is allowed or enabled. The identified segment encompasses parts of the network that the BUM traffic is able reach while excluding parts of the network nodes that the BUM traffic is unable to reach. Each identified segment includes network nodes that are interconnected by physical network hardware that supports BUM traffic. The method identifies multiple BUM traffic segments in a given network that each supports its own BUM traffic. The different BUM traffic segments are interconnected by physical network hardware that does not support BUM network traffic. Each identified segment is assigned an identifier that uniquely distinguishes the identified segment from other identified segments.

Abstract: A logical routing element (LRE) having multiple designated instances for routing packets from physical hosts (PH) to a logical network is provided. A PH in a network segment with multiple designated instances can choose among the multiple designated instances for sending network traffic to other network nodes in the logical network according to a load balancing algorithm. Each logical interface (LIF) of an LRE is defined to be addressable by multiple identifiers or addresses, and each LIF identifier or address is assigned to a different designated instance.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a mechanism for optimized application performance in SD-WAN, and includes the steps of receiving initial traffic packets at a first site for transmission to a second site; determining whether a direct tunnel is established between the first site and the second site based on a state of the second site, the state comprising an active state indicating that a direct tunnel is established between the first and second sites or an inactive state indicating that the direct tunnel is not established between the first and second sites; and in response to determining that the direct tunnel is not established, determining that the initial packets satisfy a configured trigger; forwarding the initial packets to the second site via a backup path; establishing the direct tunnel between the first and second sites; and forwarding subsequent traffic packets to the second site via the established direct tunnel.

Abstract: A logical routing element (LRE) having multiple designated instances for routing packets from physical hosts (PH) to a logical network is provided. A PH in a network segment with multiple designated instances can choose among the multiple designated instances for sending network traffic to other network nodes in the logical network according to a load balancing algorithm. Each logical interface (LIF) of an LRE is defined to be addressable by multiple identifiers or addresses, and each LIF identifier or address is assigned to a different designated instance.

Abstract: A LRE (logical routing element) that have LIFs that are active in all host machines spanned by the LRE as well as LIFs that are active in only a subset of those spanned host machines is provided. A host machine having an active LIF for a particular L2 segment would perform the L3 routing operations for network traffic related to that L2 segment. A host machine having an inactive LIF for the particular L2 segment would not perform L3 routing operations for the network traffic of the L2 segment.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method of operating several logical networks over a network virtualization infrastructure. The method defines a managed physical switching element (MPSE) that includes several ports for forwarding packets to and from a plurality of virtual machines. Each port is associated with a unique media access control (MAC) address. The metho defines several managed physical routing elements (MPREs) for the several different logical networks. Each MPRE is for receiving data packets from a same port of the MPSE. Each MPRE is defined for a different logical network and for routing data packets between different segments of the logical network. The method provides the defined MPSE and the defined plurality of MPREs to a plurality of host machines as configuration data.

Abstract: A novel method for performing replication of messages in a network that bridges one or more physical networks to an overlay logical network is provided. A physical gateway provides bridging between network nodes of a physical network and virtual machines in the overlay logical network by serving as an endpoint of the overlay logical network. The physical gateway does not replicate messages from the bridged physical network to destination endpoints in the overlay logical network directly, but instead tunnels the message-to-be-replicated to a designated tunnel endpoint in the overlay logical network. The designated tunnel endpoint in turn replicates the message that was tunneled to it to other endpoints in the overlay logical network.

Abstract: A LRE (logical routing element) that have LIFs that are active in all host machines spanned by the LRE as well as LIFs that are active in only a subset of those spanned host machines is provided. A host machine having an active LIF for a particular L2 segment would perform the L3 routing operations for network traffic related to that L2 segment. A host machine having an inactive LIF for the particular L2 segment would not perform L3 routing operations for the network traffic of the L2 segment.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method of operating several logical networks over a network virtualization infrastructure. The method defines a managed physical switching element (MPSE) that includes several ports for forwarding packets to and from a plurality of virtual machines. Each port is associated with a unique media access control (MAC) address. The method defines several managed physical routing elements (MPREs) for the several different logical networks. Each MPRE is for receiving data packets from a same port of the MPSE. Each MPRE is defined for a different logical network and for routing data packets between different segments of the logical network. The method provides the defined MPSE and the defined plurality of MPREs to a plurality of host machines as configuration data.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes providing a first profile to a plurality of edge routers of the SD-WAN, the plurality of edge routers operable to interface a plurality of devices to the SD-WAN. The first profile enables the plurality of edge routers to discover which devices of the plurality of devices support a first application The method includes receiving, from one or more of the edge routers, information indicating which devices of the plurality of devices support the first application and building a first application fabric based on the information indicating which devices of the plurality of devices support the first application.

Abstract: A novel method for performing replication of messages in a network that bridges one or more physical networks to an overlay logical network is provided. A physical gateway provides bridging between network nodes of a physical network and virtual machines in the overlay logical network by serving as an endpoint of the overlay logical network. The physical gateway does not replicate messages from the bridged physical network to destination endpoints in the overlay logical network directly, but instead tunnels the message-to-be-replicated to a designated tunnel endpoint in the overlay logical network. The designated tunnel endpoint in turn replicates the message that was tunneled to it to other endpoints in the overlay logical network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes providing a first profile to a plurality of edge routers of the SD-WAN, the plurality of edge routers operable to interface a plurality of devices to the SD-WAN. The first profile enables the plurality of edge routers to discover which devices of the plurality of devices support a first application. The method includes receiving, from one or more of the edge routers, information indicating which devices of the plurality of devices support the first application and building a first application fabric based on the information indicating which devices of the plurality of devices support the first application.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes providing a first profile to a plurality of edge routers of the SD-WAN, the plurality of edge routers operable to interface a plurality of devices to the SD-WAN. The first profile enables the plurality of edge routers to discover which devices of the plurality of devices support a first application. The method includes receiving, from one or more of the edge routers, information indicating which devices of the plurality of devices support the first application and building a first application fabric based on the information indicating which devices of the plurality of devices support the first application.

Abstract: A LRE (logical routing element) that have LIFs that are active in all host machines spanned by the LRE as well as LIFs that are active in only a subset of those spanned host machines is provided. A host machine having an active LIF for a particular L2 segment would perform the L3 routing operations for network traffic related to that L2 segment. A host machine having an inactive LIF for the particular L2 segment would not perform L3 routing operations for the network traffic of the L2 segment.

Abstract: A LRE (logical routing element) that have LIFs that are active in all host machines spanned by the LRE as well as LIFs that are active in only a subset of those spanned host machines is provided. A host machine having an active LIF for a particular L2 segment would perform the L3 routing operations for network traffic related to that L2 segment. A host machine having an inactive LIF for the particular L2 segment would not perform L3 routing operations for the network traffic of the L2 segment.