Hypervisor flow steering for address sharing

A method performed by a computing device comprising processing hardware and storage hardware storing instructions configured to cause the processing hardware to perform the method, the method comprising:

• executing a hypervisor, the hypervisor providing a first HIVE comprised of a first virtual NIC backed by a physical NIC that is connected to a physical network, the hypervisor providing a second HIVE comprised of a second virtual NIC backed by the physical NIC, wherein the physical NIC, the first virtual NIC, and the second virtual NIC share a same Internet Protocol (IP) address;
• receiving, from a physical network, at the physical NIC, packets of network flows, wherein the packets when received at the physical NIC are all addressed to the IP address, wherein the network flows terminate in the HIVEs;
• passing the inbound packets up a network stack of the hypervisor and, at or in communication with a layer of the network stack, analyzing tuples of the respective inbound packets and based thereon:
• when a tuple is determined to be associated with a virtual NIC, rather than allowing the corresponding packet to continue up the network stack past the layer, directing the corresponding inbound packet to the virtual NIC, wherein the virtual NIC receives the corresponding inbound packet with the same tuple that caused the inbound packet to be directed to the virtual NIC;
• and
• when a tuple is determined to not be associated with a virtual NIC, rather than directing the corresponding inbound packet to a virtual NIC, allowing the corresponding inbound packet to continue up the network stack past the layer.

Storage hardware storing information configured to cause a computing device to perform a process, the process comprising:

• executing a hypervisor that manages HIVEs executing on the computing device, each HIVE comprised of respective guest software, the computing device comprised of a first physical NIC having a first Internet Protocol (IP) address and comprised of a second physical NIC having a second IP address;
• providing first virtual NICs for the HIVEs, respectively, wherein the first virtual NIC of each HIVE is assigned the first IP address, wherein exposure of each first virtual NIC to its respective HIVE's guest software also exposes the first IP address to is respective HIVE's guest software, and wherein each of the first virtual NICs is backed by the first physical NIC;
• and
• providing second virtual NICs for the HIVEs, respectively, wherein the second virtual NIC of each HIVE is assigned the second IP address, wherein exposure of each second virtual NIC to its respective HIVE's guest software also exposes the second IP address to is respective HIVE's guest software, and wherein each of the second virtual NICs is backed by second first physical NIC.