Media access control (MAC) address table protection in a virtualized computing environment

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that includes a set of instructions which, in response to execution by a processor of a network device, cause the processor to perform a method of protecting a Media Access Control (MAC) address table of a network switch connecting to the network device in a virtualized computing environment, the method comprising:

• in response to receiving a packet from a virtual machine with a MAC address supported by the network device:
• when the packet includes a request message, wherein the request message is one of an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request message, a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) discover message, or a DHCP request message,
• determining a shared MAC address that is usable for the virtual machine and at least one other virtual machine supported by the network device;
• modifying a source MAC address of the request message from the MAC address to the shared MAC address before the request message reaches the network switch;
• and
• sending, to the network switch, the request message having the shared MAC address as the modified source MAC address;
• when the packet does not include the request message, sending, to the network switch, the packet without modifying a source MAC address associated with the packet;
• and
• in response to receiving a reply message in reply to the request message from the network switch, the reply message having the shared MAC address as a destination MAC address, sending, to the virtual machine, the reply message.

A network device configured to protect a Media Access Control (MAC) address table of a network switch connecting to the network device in a virtualized computing environment, the network device comprising:

• a processor, multiple uplink interfaces;
• and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• in response to receiving a packet from a virtual machine with a MAC address supported by the network device:
• when the packet includes a request message, wherein the request message is one of an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request message, a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) discover message, or a DHCP request message,
• determine a shared MAC address that is usable for the virtual machine and at least one other virtual machine supported by the network device;
• modify a source MAC address of the request message from the MAC address to the shared MAC address, wherein the shared MAC address is a MAC address associated with a selected uplink interface from the multiple uplink interfaces;
• and
• send, via the selected uplink interface to the network switch, the request message having the shared MAC address as the modified source MAC address;
• when the packet does not include the request message, send, to the network switch, the packet without modifying a source MAC address associated with the packet;
• and
• in response to receiving a reply message in reply to the request message from the network switch via the selected uplink interface, the reply message having the shared MAC address as a destination MAC address, send, to the virtual machine, the reply message.