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: Some embodiments provide a novel method for adjusting a path for a packet flow from a source machine to a destination machine in a network. The method of some embodiments identifies a condition at a first forwarding element along a first path traversed by the packet flow through the network. The first path traverses through a hardware, second forwarding element before the first forwarding element. In some embodiments, the second forwarding element includes a programmable data plane circuit. The method, in some embodiments, uses an application programming interface (API) of the programmable data plane circuit to provide a set of parameters to the data plane circuit that cause the data plane circuit to forego selecting the first path to forward the packets of the packet flow to the destination machine and instead to select a second path, not traversing the first forwarding element, to the destination machine.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a requirement translator to map a requirement to a hardware resource to execute an application in a workload domain, a cost calculator to calculate a cost for the hardware resource based on a demand for the hardware resource, an option generator to determine whether the cost exceeds a cost budget, and a resource allocator to add the hardware resource to the workload domain when the cost does not exceed the cost budget.

Abstract: The disclosure herein describes a virtual extensible local area network (VXLAN) gateway. During operation, the VXLAN gateway receives, from a physical host, an Ethernet packet destined for a virtual machine residing in a remote layer-2 network broadcast domain that is different from a local layer-2 network broadcast domain where the physical host resides. The VXLAN gateway then determines a VXLAN identifier for the received Ethernet packet. The VXLAN gateway further encapsulates the Ethernet packet with the virtual extensible local area network identifier and an Internet Protocol (IP) header, and forwards the encapsulated packet to an IP network, thereby allowing the packet to be transported to the virtual machine via the IP network and allowing the remote layer-2 network broadcast domain and the local layer-2 network broadcast domain to be part of a common layer-2 broadcast domain.

Abstract: A disclosed example of autonomously configuring a virtual network and a physical network in a physical rack includes generating network topologies of hosts based on physical network connection information indicative of physical network connections between the hosts and a top-of-rack switch in the physical rack; determining whether implementing the network topologies of the hosts concurrently in the physical rack is valid based on evaluating the network topologies relative to a network topology validation rule; when implementing the network topologies of the hosts concurrently in the physical rack is valid: configuring a virtual distributed switch in a first one of the hosts based on one of the network topologies; and configuring the top-of-rack switch in communication with the first host based on the one of the network topologies.

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: 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: 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: 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: Some embodiments provide a novel method for adjusting a path for a packet flow from a source machine to a destination machine in a network. The method of some embodiments identifies a condition at a first forwarding element along a first path traversed by the packet flow through the network. The first path traverses through a hardware, second forwarding element before the first forwarding element. In some embodiments, the second forwarding element includes a programmable data plane circuit. The method, in some embodiments, uses an application programming interface (API) of the programmable data plane circuit to provide a set of parameters to the data plane circuit that cause the data plane circuit to forego selecting the first path to forward the packets of the packet flow to the destination machine and instead to select a second path, not traversing the first forwarding element, to the destination machine.

Abstract: A disclosed example includes: a temperature predictor to determine a combined ambient air temperature of a data center during a future duration based on 1) a first ambient air temperature corresponding to heat generated by hardware resources in physical server racks when executing workloads and 2) a second ambient air temperature corresponding to a building structure of the data center; a power utilization analyzer to determine a predicted total data center power utilization for the future duration based on a computing power utilization and a climate control power utilization, the climate control power utilization based on a power utilization corresponding to adjusting the combined ambient air temperature to satisfy an ambient air temperature threshold; and a power manager to configure a power supply station to deliver an amount of electrical power during the future duration to satisfy the predicted total data center power utilization.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to improve resource allocation for virtualized server systems. An example apparatus includes a resource identifier to identify a set of external storage resources when a host storage solution is not identified, a storage cost calculator to calculate a cost corresponding to the external storage resource set by comparing a parameter of an external storage resource in the external storage resource set to a requirement, a cost analyzer to determine whether the cost satisfies a cost threshold by comparing the cost to a cost threshold, and a workload domain allocator to allocate the external storage resource set to the workload domain when the cost satisfies the cost threshold.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are disclosed for template driven infrastructure in virtualized server systems. An example apparatus includes a catalog mapper to map a requirement and system information associated with a cloud computing environment including a virtual controller to a first tag including instructions to deploy a first virtual resource corresponding to physical hardware and identify a template including the first tag based on the mapping, a plan generator to generate a plan corresponding to the template including an order of execution of tags including the first tag to deploy virtual resources including the first virtual resource to the cloud computing environment, and a controller invoker to deploy a workload domain to the cloud computing environment to execute an application by executing the instructions associated with the first tag included in the template in response to determining that the virtual controller can execute the plan.

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: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to improve workload domain management of virtualized server systems. An example apparatus includes a resource status analyzer to determine a health status of a first virtualized server of a workload domain, compare the health status to a decomposition threshold based on a policy, and transfer a workload of the first virtualized server to a second virtualized server of the workload domain when the health status satisfies the decomposition threshold. The example apparatus further includes a resource deallocator to deallocate the first virtualized server from the workload domain to a pool of virtualized servers to execute the workload using the second virtualized server.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to improve packet flow among virtualized servers are disclosed. An example apparatus includes memory, and hardware to execute instructions to generate a load balance list identifying first ones of virtualized network resources having respective values of a utilization status parameter that satisfy a first threshold, in response to at least a number of the first virtualized network resources not satisfying a load balance list threshold, update the load balance list to additionally identify second ones of the virtualized network resources, the second ones of the virtualized network resources having respective values of the utilization status parameter that satisfy a second threshold, the first threshold different from the second threshold, and adjust a policy of a physical hardware resource corresponding to one or more of the virtualized network resources based on the load balance list.

Abstract: A disclosed example includes determining that first virtual machines (VMs) corresponding to a first percentage resource utilization indicative of resource usage of a first rack cause the first rack to generate a threshold amount of heat; determining, based on a second percentage resource utilization indicative of resource usage of a second rack, to migrate the first VMs to the second rack to reduce a temperature in a first room by at least the threshold amount of heat; migrating the first VMs from the first rack of the first room to the second rack of a second room; placing the first rack in a low-power state based on the migration of the first VMs to the second rack; and sending a temperature control signal to a climate control system to adjust a cooling process of the climate control system based on the first rack being in the low-power state.

Abstract: A synchronizer is to synchronize a first MAC address from a first MAC address table of a first TOR switch to a second MAC address table of a second TOR switch, the first MAC address corresponding to a host, the first NIC to form a first active link between the first host and the first TOR switch, and store a first switch descriptor in association with the first MAC address in the second MAC address table, the first switch descriptor indicative of the first TOR switch. A packet transmitter is to, for a first packet to be delivered to the first host, send the first packet from the second TOR switch to the first TOR switch, without sending the first packet from the second TOR switch to the first host, based on the first switch descriptor stored in association with the first MAC address in the second MAC address table.

Abstract: A synchronizer is to synchronize a first MAC address from a first MAC address table of a first TOR switch to a second MAC address table of a second TOR switch, the first MAC address corresponding to a host, the first NIC to form a first active link between the first host and the first TOR switch, and store a first switch descriptor in association with the first MAC address in the second MAC address table, the first switch descriptor indicative of the first TOR switch. A packet transmitter is to, for a first packet to be delivered to the first host, send the first packet from the second TOR switch to the first TOR switch, without sending the first packet from the second TOR switch to the first host, based on the first switch descriptor stored in association with the first MAC address in the second MAC address table.