# US 2021/0243112 A1 · Database protocol for exchanging forwarding state with hardware switches

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- Number: US 2021/0243112 A1
- Document ID: US20210243112A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/176,159
- Filed: 2021-02-15
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2013-10-04
- Assignees: Nicira, Inc.
- Applicants: Nicira, Inc.
- Inventors: Bruce Davie; Anupam Chanda; Benjamin L. Pfaff; Justin Pettit; Amar Padmanabhan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243112A1

## CPC

- H04L 12/4641: {Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272)}
- G06F 9/455: Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
- G06F 9/45533: {Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors}
- H04L 12/46: Interconnection of networks
- H04L 45/14: {Routing performance; Theoretical aspects}
- H04L 45/16: Multipoint routing
- H04L 63/00: {Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00; network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorised activity G06F21/00)}
- H04L 41/0893: Assignment of logical groups to network elements
- H04L 41/0895: Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
- H04L 41/0897: by horizontal or vertical scaling of resources, or by migrating entities, e.g. virtual resources or entities
- H04L 41/28: Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
- H04L 41/40: using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
- H04L 41/5096: {wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications}
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Some embodiments provide a set of one or more network controllers that communicates with a wide range of devices, ranging from switches to appliances such as firewalls, load balancers, etc. The set of network controllers communicates with such devices to connect them to its managed virtual networks. The set of network controllers can define each virtual network through software switches and/or software appliances. To extend the control beyond software network elements, some embodiments implement a database server on each dedicated hardware. The set of network controllers accesses the database server to send management data. The hardware then translates the management data to connect to a managed virtual network.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-20. (canceled)

### Claim 21

A method of defining a logical network, the method comprising:
configuring a plurality of software forwarding elements executing on a plurality of host computers to implement a logical forwarding element (LFE) of the logical network, the logical network associated with a network identifier; and
configuring a hardware forwarding element (HFE) to implement the LFE by storing a record in the HFE that associates a port of the HFE with the LFE.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein configuring the HFE comprising writing the record in a database of the HFE.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the database is an open virtual switch (OVS) database that is accessed through an OVS database (OVSDB) protocol.

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the record stores the network identifier of the logical network, a set of tunnel identifiers that identify a set of tunnels associated with the logical network, and an identifier identifying the HFE port.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein the record further stores a virtual local area network (VLAN) tag of the HFE port in order to map a particular VLAN associated with the HFE port with the network identifier of the logical network.

### Claim 26 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the HFE serves as a gateway between the logical network and a set of computers outside of the logical network that connect to the HFE port.

### Claim 27 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21 further comprising:
receiving a new media access control (MAC) address that the HFE learns; and
distributing the new MAC address to the plurality of host computers.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the configuring, receiving and distributing are performed a set of one or more network controllers.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27 further comprising:
receiving a new MAC address of a machine executing on one of the plurality of host computers; and
distributing the new MAC address to the HFE.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The method of claim 29, wherein distributing the new MAC address to the HFE comprises writing the MAC address to an open virtual switch (OVS) database of the HFE.

### Claim 31

A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program for defining a logical network, the program for execution by at least one processing unit of a computer, the program comprising sets of instructions for:
configuring a plurality of software forwarding elements executing on a plurality of host computers to implement a logical forwarding element (LFE) of the logical network, the logical network associated with a network identifier; and
configuring a hardware forwarding element (HFE) to implement the LFE by storing a record in the HFE that associates a port of the HFE with the LFE.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 31, wherein the set of instructions for configuring the HFE comprising a set of instructions for writing the record in a database of the HFE.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 32, wherein the database is an open virtual switch (OVS) database that is accessed through an OVS database (OVSDB) protocol.

### Claim 34 (depends on 31)

The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 31, wherein the record stores the network identifier of the logical network, a set of tunnel identifiers that identify a set of tunnels associated with the logical network, and an identifier identifying the HFE port.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 34, wherein the record further stores a virtual local area network (VLAN) tag of the HFE port in order to map a particular VLAN associated with the HFE port with the network identifier of the logical network.

### Claim 36 (depends on 31)

The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 31, wherein the HFE serves as a gateway between the logical network and a set of computers outside of the logical network that connect to the HFE port.

### Claim 37 (depends on 31)

The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 31, wherein the program further comprises sets of instructions for:
receiving a new media access control (MAC) address that the HFE learns; and
distributing the new MAC address to the plurality of host computers.

### Claim 38 (depends on 37)

The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 37, wherein the program is a network controller program.

### Claim 39 (depends on 37)

The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 37, wherein the program further comprises sets of instructions for:
receiving a new MAC address of a machine executing on one of the plurality of host computers; and
distributing the new MAC address to the HFE.

### Claim 40 (depends on 39)

The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 39, wherein the set of instructions for distributing the new MAC address to the HFE comprises a set of instructions for writing the MAC address to an open virtual switch (OVS) database of the HFE.