Load balancing and destination network address translation middleboxes
AssigneeNicira, Inc.
InventorsRonghua Zhang, Teemu Koponen, Pankaj Thakkar, Martin Casado
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A controller of a network control system for configuring several middlebox instances is described. The middlebox instances implement a middlebox in a distributed manner in several hosts. The controller configures a first middlebox instance to obtain status of a set of servers and disseminate the obtained status to a second middlebox instance. The controller configures the second middlebox instance to use the status to select a server from the set of servers.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- at a middlebox element executing at a first host computer to implement a logical middlebox along with a plurality of additional middlebox elements executing at a plurality of additional host computers, receiving a first packet directed to a set of machines that provide a same service, the packet having a set of characteristics;
- selecting one of the machines from the set of machines as a destination for the first packet;
- generating a set of data records that use a network address of the selected machine to specify to send subsequent packets having the set of characteristics to the selected machine;
- and
- providing the set of data records to a managed forwarding element (MFE) executing at the additional host computer with the middlebox element to implement a logical network to which the logical middlebox belongs, wherein the MFE uses the set of data records to process the subsequent packets having the set of characteristics without use of the middlebox element.
A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a middlebox element which when executed by at least one processing unit of a first host computer implements a logical middlebox along with a plurality of additional middlebox elements executing at a plurality of additional host computers, the middlebox element comprising sets of instructions for:
- receiving a first packet directed to a set of machines that provide a same service, the packet having a set of characteristics;
- selecting one of the machines from the set of machines as a destination for the first packet;
- generating a set of data records that use a network address of the selected machine to specify to send subsequent packets having the set of characteristics to the selected machine;
- and
- providing the set of data records to a managed forwarding element (MFE) executing at the additional host computer with the middlebox element to implement a logical network to which the logical middlebox belongs, wherein the MFE uses the set of data records to process the subsequent packets having the set of characteristics without use of the middlebox element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.