Signature based management of packets in a software defined networking environment

A computer system, comprising:

• a memory comprising executable instructions;
• and
• a processor in data communication with the memory and configured to execute the instructions to cause the computer system to perform a method of managing packets at a virtual forwarding element of a hypervisor of the computer system, the virtual forwarding element being one of a virtual switch or a virtual router, the method comprising:
• receiving a first plurality of packets from a first virtual machine at a first virtual port of the virtual forwarding element, the first virtual machine and virtual forwarding element running on a host machine;
• detecting that the first plurality of packets correspond to a signature, wherein the virtual forwarding element is associated with a port-specific configuration to drop packets recieved at the first virtual port that correspond to the signature;
• dropping at least one packet of the first plurality of packets at the fisrt virtual port based on the detecting that the first plurality of packets correspond to the signature;
• receiving a second plurality of packets at the first virtual port of the virtual forwarding element, wherein the second plurality of packets do not correspond to the signature;
• forwarding the second plurality of packets to one or more first destinations by the virtual forwarding element;
• receiving a third plurality of packets from a second virtual machine at a second virtual port of the virtual forwarding element, the second virtual machine running on the host machine, wherein the third plurality of packets correspond to the signature;
• and
• forwarding the third plurality of packets to one or more second destinations by the virtual forwarding element.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method comprising:

• receiving a first plurality of packets from a first virtual machine at a first virtual port of a virtual forwarding element of a hypervisor of the computer system, the virtual forwarding element being one of a virtual switch or a virtual router, the first virtual machine and the virtual forwarding element running on a host machine;
• detecting that the first plurality of packets correspond to a signature, wherein the virtual forwarding element is associated with a port-specific configuration to drop packets recieved at the first virtual port that correspond to the signature;
• dropping at least one packet of the first plurality of packets at the first virtual port based on the detecting that the first plurality of packets correspond to the signature;
• receiving a second plurality of packets at the first virtual port of the virtual forwarding element, wherein the second plurality of packets do not correspond to the signature;
• forwarding the second plurality of packets to one or more first destinations by the virtual forwarding element;
• receiving a third plurality of packets from a second virtual machine at a second virtual port of the virtual forwarding element, the second virtual machine running on the host machine, wherein the third plurality of packets correspond to the signature;
• and
• forwarding the third plurality of packets to one or more second destinations by the virtual forwarding element.