System and method for multicasting data between networking interfaces of hypervisors
AssigneeNicira, Inc.
InventorsFei Guo, Yonggang Wang, Keyong Sun, Dousheng Zhao, Lele Zhang
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Abstract
A host computer and method for multicasting data between networking interfaces of hypervisors in a distributed computer system uses a Virtual Extensible LAN Network Identifier (VNI) assigned to a multicast group and an identifier of a VXLAN Tunnel End Point (VTEP) of the host computer associated to the VNI so that data being multicast for the multicast group can be routed to the networking interfaces via VTEPs associated with the VNI.
Claims20
A method for multicasting data between networking interfaces of hypervisors in a distributed computer system, the method comprising:
- receiving a request to join a particular multicast group from a software process connected to a networking interface of a hypervisor in a host computer at a multicast agent module of the host computer;
- sending a query from the multicast agent module to a logical network manager for a Virtual Extensible LAN Network Identifier (VNI) assigned to the particular multicast group;
- receiving the VNI assigned to the particular multicast group from the logical network manager at the multicast agent module;
- sending a VNI join message to the logical network manager from the multicast agent module to join a Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) segment defined by the VNI;
- and
- sending an identifier of a VXLAN Tunnel End Point (VTEP) of the host computer to the logical network manager from the multicast agent module to be associated with the VNI so that data being multicast for the particular multicast group can be routed to the networking interface via the VTEP.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing program instructions for multicasting data between networking interfaces of hypervisors in a distributed computer system, wherein execution of the program instructions by one or more processors of a computer system causes the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:
- receiving a request to join a particular multicast group from a software process connected to a networking interface of a hypervisor in a host computer at a multicast agent module of the host computer;
- sending a query from the multicast agent module to a logical network manager for a Virtual Extensible LAN Network Identifier (VNI) assigned to the particular multicast group;
- receiving the VNI assigned to the particular multicast group from the logical network manager at the multicast agent module;
- sending a VNI join message to the logical network manager from the multicast agent module to join a Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) segment defined by the VNI;
- and
- sending an identifier of a VXLAN Tunnel End Point (VTEP) of the host computer to the logical network manager from the multicast agent module to be associated with the VNI so that data being multicast for the particular multicast group can be routed to the networking interface via the VTEP.
A host computer of a distributed computer system comprising:
- memory;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- receive a request to join a particular multicast group from a software process connected to a networking interface of a hypervisor in the host computer at a multicast agent module of the host computer;
- send a query from the multicast agent module to a logical network manager of the distributed computer system for a Virtual Extensible LAN Network Identifier (VNI) assigned to the particular multicast group;
- receive the VNI assigned to the particular multicast group from the logical network manager at the multicast agent module;
- send a VNI join message to the logical network manager from the multicast agent module to join a Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) segment defined by the VNI;
- and
- send an identifier of a VXLAN Tunnel End Point (VTEP) of the host computer to the logical network manager from the multicast agent module to be associated with the VNI so that data being multicast for the particular multicast group can be routed to the networking interface via the VTEP.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.