Virtual Port Channel VM Move Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for informing leaf switches of virtual machine movements in a network, especially when servers are connected via virtual port channels, are problematic as they lead to unnecessary association drops, disrupting communication management.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a virtual machine movement advertisement message that includes a switch identifier and vPC peer ID, allowing leaf switches to determine whether to maintain or drop associations based on routing table information and vPC pair status, preventing unnecessary association drops during virtual machine reassignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional methods are used to inform leaf switches of virtual machine movements, then network communication management is simplified, but unnecessary association drops occur disrupting communication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vPC peer ID as an intermediary identifier in the VM movement advertisement message. This peer ID acts as a mediator that allows leaf switches to verify whether they are part of the vPC pair associated with the moving VM, preventing unnecessary association drops while maintaining proper communication management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where leaf switches receive VM movement advertisement messages containing vPC peer IDs, evaluate them against their own vPC associations, and then make informed decisions about maintaining or dropping associations. This feedback loop ensures reliable communication management by preventing incorrect association drops.
2Productivity
If leaf switches drop associations upon receiving VM movement messages, then routing tables are updated, but incorrect associations are dropped disrupting communication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by including the vPC peer ID in the VM movement advertisement message before the receiving leaf switch makes its association decision. This allows the switch to pre-evaluate whether it should maintain or drop the association, ensuring accurate routing table updates without incorrect association drops.
3Loss of information
If VM movement information is broadcast to all switches, then network awareness is maintained, but unnecessary processing and association drops occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the VM movement advertisement message selectively relevant to specific switches through the inclusion of vPC peer IDs. Instead of uniform processing by all switches, only switches that are part of the indicated vPC pairs need to process and act on the message, reducing unnecessary processing complexity while maintaining network awareness.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are provided for managing movements of virtual machines in a network. At a first switch, a virtual machine (VM) is detected. The VM is hosted by a physical server coupled to the first switch. A message is sent to other switches and it indicates that the VM is hosted by the physical server. When the first switch is paired with a second switch as a virtual port channel (vPC) pair, the message includes a switch identifier that identifies the second switch. A receiving switch receives the message from a source switch in the network comprising a route update associated with the VM. A routing table of the receiving switch is evaluated to determine whether the host route is associated with a server facing the physical port. The message is examined to determine it contains the switch identifier.