Abstract: Some embodiments provide novel methods for performing services for machines operating in one or more datacenters. For instance, for a group of related guest machines (e.g., a group of tenant machines), some embodiments define two different forwarding planes: (I) a guest forwarding plane and (2) a service forwarding plane. The guest forwarding plane connects to the machines in the group and performs L2 and/or L3 forwarding for these machines. The service forwarding plane (1) connects to the service nodes that perform services on data messages sent to and from these machines, and (2) forwards these data messages to the service nodes. In some embodiments, the guest machines do not connect directly with the service forwarding plane.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a connector for fitting with a docking connector comprising an electrical module plug and additional module plugs, the connector comprising a housing, the housing comprising a first receiving portion concavely provided with a socket from the front wall toward the rear wall of the housing and a second receiving portion provided on the front wall. The connector further comprises a terminal comprising a terminal head portion and a terminal connecting portion which are connected to each other, the terminal head portion being bent at an angle with respect to the terminal connecting portion, such that the terminal head portion is provided in the second receiving portion for connecting to the additional module plugs and the terminal connecting portion is provided on an outer surface of one of the two side walls. The connector can be compatible with additional applications while being suitable for standard applications.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a conductive housing for the connector and a connector comprising the conductive housing. The conductive housing comprises a plurality of side surfaces, at least one of which comprising a plurality of terminal connection portions spaced apart from one another at an edge portion of the side surface, and a gap being formed between two adjacent terminal connection portions; and a plurality of terminal pins, each of which being connected to the respective terminal connection portion. The conductive housing further comprises at least one conductive elastic piece, one of which being connected between the two adjacent terminal connection portions to at least partially cover the gap between the two adjacent terminal connection portions. By means of such arrangement, the conductive elastic piece covers most areas between the terminal pins so as to enhance electromagnetic compatibility.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a novel secure method for suppressing address discovery messaging. In some embodiments, the method receives an address discovery record that provides a network address associated with a machine connected to a network. The method then identifies a set of one or more rules for evaluating the received address discovery record to determine whether the address discovery record or its provided network address should be distributed to one or more hosts and/or devices associated with the network. The method then processes the set of rules to determine whether the received address discovery record violates a rule in the set of rules so as to prevent the distribution of its provided network address. When the address discovery record violates a rule, the method discards it in some embodiments.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide novel methods for performing services for machines operating in one or more datacenters. For instance, for a group of related guest machines (e.g., a group of tenant machines), some embodiments define two different forwarding planes: (1) a guest forwarding plane and (2) a service forwarding plane. The guest forwarding plane connects to the machines in the group and performs L2 and/or L3 forwarding for these machines. The service forwarding plane (1) connects to the service nodes that perform services on data messages sent to and from these machines, and (2) forwards these data messages to the service nodes. In some embodiments, the guest machines do not connect directly with the service forwarding plane. For instance, in some embodiments, each forwarding plane connects to a machine or service node through a port that receives data messages from, or supplies data messages to, the machine or service node.

Abstract: A method of recording layer-2 (L2) mappings created for workloads executing on a plurality of hosts in a first database managed by a network management server: upon receipt of a first mapping reported by a first host, determining that the first mapping is not recorded in the first database; and in response to the determining that the received first mapping is not recorded in the first database, generating a first timestamp and persisting a first record in the first database that includes the first mapping and the first timestamp.

Abstract: A method of recording layer-2 (L2) mappings created for workloads executing on a plurality of hosts in a first database managed by a network management server: upon receipt of a first mapping reported by a first host, determining that the first mapping is not recorded in the first database; and in response to the determining that the received first mapping is not recorded in the first database, generating a first timestamp and persisting a first record in the first database that includes the first mapping and the first timestamp.

Abstract: Certain embodiments described herein are generally directed to handling a hypervisor restart event in a distributed network system. Embodiments include receiving, by a central controller, a session identifier from a first hypervisor. Embodiments further include comparing, by the central controller, the session identifier to a stored session identifier associated with the first hypervisor. Embodiments further include determining, by the central controller based on the session identifier not matching the stored session identifier associated with the first hypervisor, that the first hypervisor has restarted. Embodiments further include updating, by the central controller, the stored session identifier associated with the first hypervisor to match the session identifier. Embodiments further include identifying, by the central controller, a second hypervisor that is associated with the first hypervisor.

Abstract: Example methods and systems for software bug reproduction. One example method may comprise obtaining log information associated with multiple transactions processed by a control-plane node to configure a set of data-plane nodes and transform an initial network state to a first network state; and configuring a replay environment that is initialized to the initial network state, and includes a mock control-plane node and a set of mock data-plane nodes. The method may also comprise, based on the log information, replaying the multiple transactions using the mock control-plane node to configure the set of mock data-plane nodes and transform the replay environment from the initial network state to a second network state. Based on a comparison between the first network state and the second network state, a determination may be made as to whether a software bug is successfully reproduced in the replay environment.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide novel methods for performing services for machines operating in one or more datacenters. For instance, for a group of related guest machines (e.g., a group of tenant machines), some embodiments define two different forwarding planes: (1) a guest forwarding plane and (2) a service forwarding plane. The guest forwarding plane connects to the machines in the group and performs L2 and/or L3 forwarding for these machines. The service forwarding plane (1) connects to the service nodes that perform services on data messages sent to and from these machines, and (2) forwards these data messages to the service nodes. In some embodiments, the guest machines do not connect directly with the service forwarding plane. For instance, in some embodiments, each forwarding plane connects to a machine or service node through a port that receives data messages from, or supplies data messages to, the machine or service node.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a novel secure method for suppressing address discovery messaging. In some embodiments, the method receives an address discovery record that provides a network address associated with a machine connected to a network. The method then identifies a set of one or more rules for evaluating the received address discovery record to determine whether the address discovery record or its provided network address should be distributed to one or more hosts and/or devices associated with the network. The method then processes the set of rules to determine whether the received address discovery record violates a rule in the set of rules so as to prevent the distribution of its provided network address. When the address discovery record violates a rule, the method discards it in some embodiments.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a connector for fitting with a docking connector comprising an electrical module plug and additional module plugs, the connector comprising a housing having a front wall, a rear wall and two opposite side walls connecting the front wall and the rear wall, the housing comprising a first receiving portion concavely provided with a socket from the front wall toward the rear wall of the housing for receiving the electrical module plug of the docking connector and a second receiving portion provided on the front wall for receiving the additional module plugs of the docking connector.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a conductive housing for the connector and a connector comprising the conductive housing. The conductive housing comprises a plurality of side surfaces, at least one of which comprising a plurality of terminal connection portions spaced apart from one another at an edge portion of the side surface, and a gap being formed between two adjacent terminal connection portions; and a plurality of terminal pins, each of which being connected to the respective terminal connection portion. The conductive housing further comprises at least one conductive elastic piece, one of which being connected between the two adjacent terminal connection portions to at least partially cover the gap between the two adjacent terminal connection portions.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide novel methods for performing services for machines operating in one or more datacenters. For instance, for a group of related guest machines (e.g., a group of tenant machines), some embodiments define two different forwarding planes: (1) a guest forwarding plane and (2) a service forwarding plane. The guest forwarding plane connects to the machines in the group and performs L2 and/or L3 forwarding for these machines. The service forwarding plane (1) connects to the service nodes that perform services on data messages sent to and from these machines, and (2) forwards these data messages to the service nodes. In some embodiments, the guest machines do not connect directly with the service forwarding plane. For instance, in some embodiments, each forwarding plane connects to a machine or service node through a port that receives data messages from, or supplies data messages to, the machine or service node.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide novel methods for performing services for machines operating in one or more datacenters. For instance, for a group of related guest machines (e.g., a group of tenant machines), some embodiments define two different forwarding planes: (1) a guest forwarding plane and (2) a service forwarding plane. The guest forwarding plane connects to the machines in the group and performs L2 and/or L3 forwarding for these machines. The service forwarding plane (1) connects to the service nodes that perform services on data messages sent to and from these machines, and (2) forwards these data messages to the service nodes. In some embodiments, the guest machines do not connect directly with the service forwarding plane. For instance, in some embodiments, each forwarding plane connects to a machine or service node through a port that receives data messages from, or supplies data messages to, the machine or service node.

Abstract: Example methods and systems for software bug reproduction. One example method may comprise obtaining log information associated with multiple transactions processed by a control-plane node to configure a set of data-plane nodes and transform an initial network state to a first network state; and configuring a replay environment that is initialized to the initial network state, and includes a mock control-plane node and a set of mock data-plane nodes. The method may also comprise, based on the log information, replaying the multiple transactions using the mock control-plane node to configure the set of mock data-plane nodes and transform the replay environment from the initial network state to a second network state.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for migrating a machine on a first host computer to a second host computer. At the first host computer, the method gathers a set of service insertion data used by a first service insertion module executing on the first host computer to identify a particular chain of multiple services that a set of multiple service nodes have to perform on a particular data message flow associated with the machine. To the second host computer, the method sends a set of machine configuration data and the set of service insertion data. The second host computer (1) uses the machine configuration data to deploy the machine on the second host computer and (2) uses the gathered set of service insertion data to configure a second service insertion module executing on the second host computer to identify the particular chain of two or more services.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for migrating a service machine between two hosts. The method configures a first host (1) to gather service machine data associated with the service machine executing on the first host and (2) to send the gathered service machine data to the second host. Each host executes a software forwarding element to implement a distributed forwarding element (DFE) that implements a dedicated service forwarding plane that forwards data messages associated with guest machines to the services machines. The method configures the second host to use the received service machine data to deploy the service machine on the second host and to connect the deployed service machine to the DFE. The method configures the DFE to forward data messages associated with a guest machine executing on a third host, and addressed to the service machine to the second host instead of the first host.

Abstract: The disclosure provides an approach for computing service paths for a service chain identifying a sequence of services. One method includes including information about a plurality of hosts in a heap. Each of the plurality of hosts includes at least one service virtual computing instance (SVCI) configured to provide at least one of the services of the service chain. The information includes, for each of the plurality of hosts, a number of service paths computed for the service chain at the host and one of a number of services provided by unused SVCIs of the host or a number of consecutive services provided by unused SVCIs of the host. The method further includes selecting a host from the heap based on the information. The method further includes generating a first service path for the service chain, the first service path identifying at least one SVCI of the selected host.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide novel methods for performing services for machines operating in one or more datacenters. For instance, for a group of related guest machines (e.g., a group of tenant machines), some embodiments define two different forwarding planes: (1) a guest forwarding plane and (2) a service forwarding plane. The guest forwarding plane connects to the machines in the group and performs L2 and/or L3 forwarding for these machines. The service forwarding plane (1) connects to the service nodes that perform services on data messages sent to and from these machines, and (2) forwards these data messages to the service nodes. In some embodiments, the guest machines do not connect directly with the service forwarding plane. For instance, in some embodiments, each forwarding plane connects to a machine or service node through a port that receives data messages from, or supplies data messages to, the machine or service node.