Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a novel method for specifying firewall rules. In some embodiments, the method provides the ability to specify for a particular firewall rule, a set of network nodes (also called a set of enforcement points below) at which the particular firewall should be enforced. To provide this ability, the method of some embodiments adds an extra tuple (referred to below as the AppliedTo tuple) to a firewall rule. This added AppliedTo tuple lists the set of enforcement points at which the firewall rule has to be applied (i.e., enforced).

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for clustering a set of data compute nodes (DCNs), which communicate with each other more frequently, on one or more host machines. The method groups together guest DCNs (GDCNs) that (1) execute on different host machines and (2) exchange network data among themselves more frequently, in order to reduce interhost network traffic. The more frequently-communicating GDCNs can be a set of GDCNs that implement a distributed application, GDCNs of a particular tier in a multi-tier network architecture (e.g., a web tier in a three-tier architecture), GDCNs that are dedicated to a particular tenant in a hosting system, or any other set of GDCNs that exchange data among each other regularly for a particular purpose.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for a network management and control system that manages a virtual infrastructure deployed across a set of datacenters. The method receives a definition of an application to be deployed in the virtual infrastructure. The application definition specifies a requirement that the application receive data traffic from sources external to the virtual infrastructure. Based on the application definition, the method defines a first set of firewall rules for the application that indicate conditions for allowing data traffic from sources external to the virtual infrastructure. For an existing second set of higher-level firewall rules for data traffic entering and exiting the virtual infrastructure, the method specifies a new firewall rule that directs a network element implementing the sets of firewall rules to apply the first set of firewall rules to any data traffic that is from sources external to the virtual infrastructure and directed to the application.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for clustering a set of data compute nodes (DCNs), which communicate with each other more frequently, on one or more host machines. The method groups together guest DCNs (GDCNs) that (1) execute on different host machines and (2) exchange network data among themselves more frequently, in order to reduce interhost network traffic. The more frequently-communicating GDCNs can be a set of GDCNs that implement a distributed application, GDCNs of a particular tier in a multi-tier network architecture (e.g., a web tier in a three-tier architecture), GDCNs that are dedicated to a particular tenant in a hosting system, or any other set of GDCNs that exchange data among each other regularly for a particular purpose.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for clustering a set of data compute nodes (DCNs), which communicate with each other more frequently, on one or more host machines. The method groups together guest DCNs (GDCNs) that (1) execute on different host machines and (2) exchange network data among themselves more frequently, in order to reduce interhost network traffic. The more frequently-communicating GDCNs can be a set of GDCNs that implement a distributed application, GDCNs of a particular tier in a multi-tier network architecture (e.g., a web tier in a three-tier architecture), GDCNs that are dedicated to a particular tenant in a hosting system, or any other set of GDCNs that exchange data among each other regularly for a particular purpose.

Abstract: A software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) environment that leverages network virtualization management deployment is provided. Edge security services managed by the network virtualization management deployment are made available in the SD-WAN environment. Cloud gateways forward SD-WAN traffic to managed service nodes to apply security services. Network traffic is encapsulated with corresponding metadata to ensure that services can be performed according to the desired policy. Point-to-point tunnels are established between cloud gateways and the managed service nodes to transport the metadata to the managed service nodes using an overlay logical network. Virtual network identifiers (VNIs) in the metadata are used by the managed service nodes to identify tenants/policies.

Abstract: A software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) environment that leverages network virtualization management deployment is provided. Edge security services managed by the network virtualization management deployment are made available in the SD-WAN environment. Cloud gateways forward SD-WAN traffic to managed service nodes to apply security services. Network traffic is encapsulated with corresponding metadata to ensure that services can be performed according to the desired policy. Point-to-point tunnels are established between cloud gateways and the managed service nodes to transport the metadata to the managed service nodes using an overlay logical network. Virtual network identifiers (VNIs) in the metadata are used by the managed service nodes to identify tenants/policies.

Abstract: A software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) environment that leverages network virtualization management deployment is provided. Edge security services managed by the network virtualization management deployment are made available in the SD-WAN environment. Cloud gateways forward SD-WAN traffic to managed service nodes to apply security services. Network traffic is encapsulated with corresponding metadata to ensure that services can be performed according to the desired policy. Point-to-point tunnels are established between cloud gateways and the managed service nodes to transport the metadata to the managed service nodes using an overlay logical network. Virtual network identifiers (VNIs) in the metadata are used by the managed service nodes to identify tenants/policies.

Abstract: Systems and methods described herein provide a high availability DHCP server capable of serving multiple tenants in a data center. The DHCP server may use a different logical DHCP server instance for each tenant, and may be implemented as one process without the use of namespaces. A DHCP server is executed on a gateway virtual machine (VM) that is capable of hosting a plurality of logical DHCP servers. For each tenant in a data center, a logical network and a corresponding logical DHCP server instance are implemented. The DHCP server may service requests for DHCP services from VMs via their physical host by determining the tenant that the VM originates from and leasing a DHCP resource from that tenant's corresponding logical DHCP server instance.

Abstract: A novel method for managing firewall configuration of a software defined data center is provided. Such a firewall configuration is divided into multiple sections that each contains a set of firewall rules. Each tenant of the software defined data center has a corresponding set of sections in the firewall configuration. The method allows each tenant to independently access and update/manage its own corresponding set of sections. Multiple tenants or users are allowed to make changes to the firewall configuration simultaneously.

Abstract: A software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) environment that leverages network virtualization management deployment is provided. Edge security services managed by the network virtualization management deployment are made available in the SD-WAN environment. Cloud gateways forward SD-WAN traffic to managed service nodes to apply security services. Network traffic is encapsulated with corresponding metadata to ensure that services can be performed according to the desired policy. Point-to-point tunnels are established between cloud gateways and the managed service nodes to transport the metadata to the managed service nodes using an overlay logical network. Virtual network identifiers (VNIs) in the metadata are used by the managed service nodes to identify tenants/policies.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for a network management and control system that manages a virtual infrastructure deployed across a set of datacenters. The method receives a definition of an application to be deployed in the virtual infrastructure. The application definition specifies a requirement that the application receive data traffic from sources external to the virtual infrastructure. Based on the application definition, the method defines a first set of firewall rules for the application that indicate conditions for allowing data traffic from sources external to the virtual infrastructure. For an existing second set of higher-level firewall rules for data traffic entering and exiting the virtual infrastructure, the method specifies a new firewall rule that directs a network element implementing the sets of firewall rules to apply the first set of firewall rules to any data traffic that is from sources external to the virtual infrastructure and directed to the application.

Abstract: Network firewalls operate based on rules that define how a firewall should handle traffic passing through the firewall. At their most basic, firewall rules may indicate that certain network traffic should be denied from passing through a network firewall or indicate that certain network traffic should be allowed to pass through the network firewall. Manners of handling network traffic beyond simply allowing or denying the network traffic may also be defined by the rules. For instance, a rule may indicate that certain network traffic should be routed to a specific system. Thus, if an administrator of a network firewall determines that certain network traffic should be handled in a certain way by a network firewall, the administrator need only implement a firewall rule defining how that network traffic should be handled in the network firewall.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a novel method for specifying firewall rules. In some embodiments, the method provides the ability to specify for a particular firewall rule, a set of network nodes (also called a set of enforcement points below) at which the particular firewall should be enforced. To provide this ability, the method of some embodiments adds an extra tuple (referred to below as the AppliedTo tuple) to a firewall rule. This added AppliedTo tuple lists the set of enforcement points at which the firewall rule has to be applied (i.e., enforced).

Abstract: A novel method for distributing firewall configuration of a software defined data center is provided. The network manager of the data center receives update requests from tenants of the data center and correspondingly generates update fragments and delivers the generated update fragment to local control planes controlling the enforcing devices. Each local control plane in turn integrates the update fragments it receives into its firewall rules table. For each rule and/or section thusly integrated, the local control plane uses the rule or the section's assigned priority number to establish ordering in the firewall rules table of the local control plane.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a novel method for specifying firewall rules. In some embodiments, the method provides the ability to specify for a particular firewall rule, a set of network nodes (also called a set of enforcement points below) at which the particular firewall should be enforced. To provide this ability, the method of some embodiments adds an extra tuple (referred to below as the AppliedTo tuple) to a firewall rule. This added AppliedTo tuple lists the set of enforcement points at which the firewall rule has to be applied (i.e., enforced).

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for distributing firewall configuration in a datacenter comprising multiple host machines. The method retrieves a rule in the firewall configuration for distribution to the host machines. The firewall rule is associated with a minimum required version number. The method identifies a high-level construct in the firewall rule. The method queries a translation cache for the identified high-level construct. The translation cache stores previous translation results for different high-level constructs. Each stored translation result is associated with a version number. When the translation cache has a stored previous translation result for the identified high-level construct that is associated with a version number that is equal to or newer than the minimum required version number, the method uses the previous translation result stored in the cache to translate the identified high-level construct to a low-level construct.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for managing firewall protection in a datacenter that includes multiple host machines that each hosts a set of data compute nodes. The method maintains a firewall configuration for the host machines at a network manager of the data center. The firewall configuration includes multiple firewall rules to be enforced at the host machines. The method aggregates a first set of updates to the firewall configuration into a first aggregated update and associates the first aggregated update with a first version number. The method distributes a first host-level firewall configuration update to a first host machine based on the first aggregated update and associates the first host machine with the first version number. The method aggregates a second set of updates to the firewall configuration into a second aggregated update and associates the second aggregated update with a second version number.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to use artificial intelligence to define encryption and security policies in a software defined data center are disclosed. Example apparatus include a language parser to parse a natural language statement into a policy statement that defines a distributed network encryption policy or a distributed network security policy. Example apparatus also include a comparator to compare the policy statement to a set of reference policy templates and a template configurer to select a first policy template from the set of reference policy templates in response to the comparator determining the first policy template corresponds to the policy statement. A policy distributor distributes a policy rule defined by the first policy template for enforcement at network nodes of a software defined data center. The policy rule is a distributed network encryption policy rule or a security policy rule.

Abstract: A novel method for managing firewall configuration of a software defined data center is provided. Such a firewall configuration is divided into multiple sections that each contains a set of firewall rules. Each tenant of the software defined data center has a corresponding set of sections in the firewall configuration. The method allows each tenant to independently access and update/manage its own corresponding set of sections. Multiple tenants or users are allowed to make changes to the firewall configuration simultaneously.