Overlay Broadcast Network for Management VM Routing

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Solution Overview

Problem

In cloud data centers, management virtual machines (VMs) face challenges when moving to a different host, as they cannot update underlay routing tables without communicating with the cloud provider API endpoint, leading to disruptions in connectivity and traffic routing.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves creating an overlay broadcast network that forwards traffic from the old host to the new host using an overlay broadcast network IP address, allowing the management VM to communicate with the API endpoint to update the underlay routing table, and implementing a routing policy to prevent traffic looping.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the management VM moves to a new host, then the VM can be placed on a different physical host for load balancing or maintenance, but the underlay routing table cannot be updated without API communication causing connectivity disruption

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveVM mobilityVSAvoidconnectivity continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring the overlay network and establishing broadcast capabilities before the management VM actually moves. The overlay routing table is updated in advance to include the new host, and the broadcast mechanism is prepared to redirect traffic to the new location, ensuring no connectivity gap occurs during migration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The overlay network acts as an intermediary layer between the management VM and the underlay network. When the VM moves, the overlay network mediates the routing transition by broadcasting packets to the new host location, allowing the VM to maintain connectivity without direct underlay routing table updates during the transition period.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the management VM moves to a new host, then resource utilization can be optimized through live migration, but traffic routing becomes disrupted due to stale underlay routing entries

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource utilizationVSAvoidrouting update delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the traditional mechanical routing update mechanism (API calls to underlay routers) with a software-based overlay networking approach. The overlay virtual router intercepts and redirects traffic using software routing tables, eliminating the need for time-consuming underlay routing table updates and enabling immediate traffic redirection upon VM migration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system updates the overlay routing table in advance before the management VM completes its migration to the new host. This preliminary routing configuration ensures that traffic is already directed to the correct new location when the VM arrives, eliminating routing delays and maintaining continuous productivity during resource optimization operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If traditional underlay routing is used for management VMs, then routing is simple and direct, but VM migration requires complex API interactions and routing table updates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverouting simplicityVSAvoidmigration ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the routing function into two independent layers: the underlay network maintains simple, static routing tables for direct connectivity, while the overlay network handles dynamic VM migration routing through its own virtual routing table. This segmentation allows each layer to operate independently with appropriate complexity, making VM migration easy without complicating the underlying routing infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The overlay network serves as an intermediary that simplifies VM migration operations by absorbing all routing complexity within its virtual routing layer. Management VMs can migrate freely within the overlay network domain without triggering complex underlay routing updates, as the overlay virtual router mediates all routing decisions and maintains simplicity in the underlying infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11570097B1Overlay broadcast network for management traffic

Publication Date: 2023.01.31 VMWARE INC

AI summary

The disclosure provides an approach for an overlay broadcast network for management traffic. Techniques are provided for updating an underlay network route for a virtual computing instance (VCI) on a new host. After activating the VCI on the new host, a routing table on the old host is reprogrammed to associate an Internet protocol (IP) address of the VCI to an overlay broadcast network IP address and a routing table on the new host is reprogramed to associate the first IP address to a local route on the new host. The VCI sends a message to an application programming interface (API) endpoint to initiate reprogramming of an underlay network route to associate the first IP address to the new host. When a response packet is received at the old host, via the underlay network, the old host broadcasts the packet to the overlay broadcast network.