In general, the present invention relates to a virtual platform in which one or more distributed virtual switches can be created for use in virtual networking. According to some aspects, the distributed virtual switch according to the invention provides the ability for virtual and physical machines to more readily, securely, and efficiently communicate with each other even if they are not located on the same physical host and/or in the same subnet or VLAN. According other aspects, the distributed virtual switches of the invention can support integration with traditional IP networks and support sophisticated IP technologies including NAT functionality, stateful firewalling, and notifying the IP network of workload migration. According to further aspects, the virtual platform of the invention creates one or more distributed virtual switches which may be allocated to a tenant, application, or other entity requiring isolation and/or independent configuration state. According to still further aspects, the virtual platform of the invention manages and/or uses VLAN or tunnels (e.g, GRE) to create a distributed virtual switch for a network while working with existing switches and routers in the network. The present invention finds utility in both enterprise networks, datacenters and other facilities.

Method and apparatus for implementing and managing virtual switches

Systems and methods for managing a network are described. A view of current state of the network is maintained where the current state of the network characterizes network topology and network constituents, including network entities and network elements residing in or on the network. Events are announced that correspond to changes in the state of the network and one or more network elements can be configured accordingly. Methods for managing network traffic are described that ensure forwarding and other actions taken by network elements implement globally declared network policy and refer to high-level names, independently of network topology and the location of network constituents. Methods for discovering network constituents are described, whereby are automatically configured. Routing may be performed using ACL and packets can be intercepted to permit host to continue in sleep mode. The methods are applicable to virtual environments.

Network operating system for managing and securing networks

For a network that includes several managed edge switching elements and several managed non-edge switching elements that are for implementing a logical switching element, some embodiments provide a method of distributing packet processing across the several managed non-edge switching elements. The method receives a packet for processing through the logical switching element. Based on a determination that the packet needs to be processed by a managed non-edge switching element, the method determines a particular managed non-edge switching element of the several managed non-edge switching elements to forward the packet. The method forwards the packet to the particular managed non-edge switching element for the particular managed non-edge switching element to process the packet.

Method and apparatus for robust packet distribution among hierarchical managed switching elements

Some embodiments provide a virtualizer for managing a plurality of managed switching elements that forward data through a network. The virtualizer comprises a first set of tables for storing input logical forwarding plane data and a second set of tables for storing output physical control plane data. It also includes a table mapping engine for mapping the input logical forwarding plane data in the first set of tables to output physical control plane data in the second set of tables by performing a set of database join operations on the input logical forwarding plane data in the first set of tables. In some embodiments, the physical control plane data is subsequently translated into physical forwarding behaviors that direct the forwarding of data by the managed switching elements.

Network virtualization apparatus and method with a table mapping engine

Some embodiments provide a method for managing a logical switching element that includes several logical ports. The logical switching element receives and sends data packets through the logical ports. The logical switching element is implemented in a set of managed switching elements that forward data packets in a network. The method provides a set of tables for specifying forwarding behaviors of the logical switching element. The method performs a set of database join operations on the tables to specify in the tables that the logical forwarding element drops a data packet received through a first logical port when the data packet is headed to a second logical port different than the first logical port.

Network control apparatus and method for port isolation

The present invention is a computer system and a method for gathering, processing and analysis of network information resulting in presentation and visualization of packet networks in the form of individual virtual flows, sometimes also called connections or sessions, containing their statistical characteristics in a time-sampled dynamics. The system, deployed as a separate device or co-hosted with other network devices, collects and processes information from all valid packets in network, classifies and maps gathered statistics to the statistics of relevant virtual flows. The statistical information is further processed by the system to provide near-real presentation, as well as stored in a searchable database for future analyses. The invention to be used by network engineers and administrators as a tool for a near real-time control of network traffic, as an analytical tool for solving network bottlenecks, network performance optimization and troubleshooting analyses, cutting costs by optimizing network layout, appropriate organization of traffic and intelligent configuration of QoS, routers and other network devices.

Flows based visualization of packet networks with network performance analysis, troubleshooting, optimization and network history backlog

The present invention is a computer system and a method for gathering, processing and analysis of network information resulting in presentation and visualization of packet networks in the form of individual virtual flows (VF), sometimes called connections or sessions, containing their statistical characteristics in a time-sampled dynamics (33).

Robert Iakobashvili

Papers

Flows based visualization of packet networks with network performance analysis, troubleshooting, optimization and network history backlog

Visualization of packet network performance, analysis and optimization for design