Service discovery across tunnel endpoints in overlays

A method for service discovery in an overlay network, comprising:

• receiving, by a network device from a client device connected to the network device configured as a first virtual tunnel endpoint (VTEP) in the overlay network, a multicast query for a service advertised by a host device connected to another network device configured as a second VTEP in the overlay network, wherein the multicast query comprises a service name of the service;
• determining, by the network device, whether a host name, of the host device, corresponding to the service name is present in a resource record of the network device, wherein the resource record comprises a list of host names connected to VTEPs in the overlay network, respective service names, and respective overlay network paths;
• in response to determining that the host name is present in the resource record, identifying, by the network device from the resource record, an overlay network path corresponding to the host name, the overlay network path indicative of reachability information of the host device in the overlay network;
• encapsulating, by the network device, the multicast query based on an overlay encapsulation protocol implemented at the first VTEP, wherein the encapsulated multicast query comprises at least a portion of the overlay network path;
• and
• routing, by the network device, the encapsulated multicast query, via the overlay network path, to the host device, such that the service is discoverable by the client device.

A network device comprising:

• a processor;
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which when executed by the processor causes the processor to:
• receive, from a host device connected to the network device, a multicast service announcement, wherein the multicast service announcement comprises a host name of a host device and a service name of a service advertised by the host device, and wherein the network device is configured as a virtual tunnel endpoint (VTEP) in an overlay network;
• identify a set of overlay network paths connecting the VTEP to other VTEPs in the overlay network;
• create a set of copies of the multicast service announcement, each of the copies to be forwarded along a respective overlay network path from the set of overlay network paths;
• encapsulate each of the copies based on an overlay encapsulation protocol implemented at the VTEP, wherein each of the encapsulated copies of the multicast service announcement comprises at least a portion of the respective overlay network path along which it is to be routed;
• and
• route each of the encapsulated copies of the multicast service announcement to each of the other VTEPs via the respective overlay network path.