Transporting multi-destination networking traffic by sending repetitive unicast

Abstract

In a distributed network environment, a first virtual machine sends a first virtual machine control information to a first network system. The first network system sends a first control information to a first network control system in response to receiving the first virtual machine control information. The first network control system sends a portion of the first control information to a number of network systems. The first network control system sends a second control information to the first network system. The first virtual machine sends a first packet to the first network system which generates a unicast packet using a portion of the first packet and a portion of the second control information. A second network system receives and processes the unicast packet. The second network system sends a copy of the processed unicast packet to a second virtual machine associated with a second tenant.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A distributed network system comprising:
 a first virtual machine, wherein the first virtual machine is (i) configured to communicate with a first network system of a plurality of network systems, (ii) associated with a first tenant, and (iii) registered with the first network system via a first virtual machine control information, wherein the first virtual machine control information includes information associated with the first tenant;   the first network system, wherein the first network system is configured to respond to the reception of the first virtual machine control information by sending a first network control information to at least one network control system included in a plurality of network control systems, the first network control information including information associated with the first virtual machine and information associated with the first tenant;   the plurality of network systems, wherein the plurality of network systems are configured to send one or both of a network traffic information and a control information to at least one network control system and at least one virtual machine; and   the at least one network control system, wherein the at least one network control system is configured to respond to the reception of the first control information by sending (i) at least a first portion of the first control information to a first number of network systems of the plurality of network systems, and (ii) a second control information to the first network system, wherein each network system of the first number of network systems is in communication with at least one virtual machine associated with the first tenant.   
     
     
         2 . The distributed network system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first number of virtual machines, wherein the first number of virtual machines includes the first virtual machine, and wherein each virtual machine of the first number of virtual machines (i) includes a sender and a receiver, (ii) is registered with the first network system, and (iii) communicates network traffic and control information with the first network system.   
     
     
         3 . The distributed network system of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the first control information includes at least one of a portion of the first virtual machine control information, the information associated with the first tenant, and a first identification information of the first network system. 
     
     
         4 . The distributed network system of  claim 1 , wherein the second control information includes a first number of ID information, and each ID information of the first number of ID information respectively corresponds to a network system of the first number of network systems. 
     
     
         5 . The distributed network system of  claim 1 , wherein the first network system is configured to respond to the reception of a first packet from the first virtual machine by generating at least one unicast packet using at least one of a portion of the first packet and a portion of the second control information. 
     
     
         6 . The distributed network system of  claim 5 , wherein the first network system is configured to respond to the reception of a first packet from the first virtual machine by generating a first number of unicast packets that respectively include at least a portion of the first packet and one of the first number of ID information. 
     
     
         7 . The distributed network system of  claim 6 , wherein the first number of unicast packets corresponds to the first number of network systems of the plurality of network systems. 
     
     
         8 . The distributed network system of  claim 6 , wherein each unicast packet of the first number of unicast packets includes a destination address of a network system included in the first number of network systems. 
     
     
         9 . The distributed network system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second network system configured to (i) receive a generated unicast packet, (ii) process the received unicast packet, (iii) identify a second tenant using a portion of the processed unicast packet, (iv) determine a number of virtual machines registered with the second network system, and (iv) send a copy of the processed unicast packet to a second virtual machine, wherein the second virtual machine is associated with the second tenant and is included in the number of virtual machines registered with the second network system.   
     
     
         10 . The distributed network system of  claim 9 , wherein the second network system is configured to determine the number of virtual machines registered with the second network system by applying local policies for receiving unicast packets to each virtual machine associated with the second tenant. 
     
     
         11 . The distributed network system of  claim 1 , wherein a third network system of the plurality of network systems includes (i) a record of all network systems of the plurality of network systems, (ii) a record of a second virtual machine that is associated with a second network system of the plurality of network systems, and (iii) a record of a third tenant associated with the second virtual machine. 
     
     
         12 . The distributed network system of  claim 11 , wherein the third network system is configured to update its records in the event that a fourth network system of the plurality of network systems receives a transmission which cannot be received by any of its virtual machines. 
     
     
         13 . The distributed network system of  claim 12 , wherein the third network system is configured to respond to a notification from the first network control system that a particular tenant has been removed from a particular network system of the plurality of network systems by removing a record of the particular tenant from the records associated with the particular network system. 
     
     
         14 . A method for configuring a distributed network environment, the method comprising:
 a first virtual machine of the distributed network sending a first virtual machine control information to a first network system of the distributed network, wherein the first virtual machine is associated with a first tenant of the distributed network and is configured to communicate with the first network system, and wherein the first virtual machine control information is associated with the first virtual machine and the first tenant;   the first network system sending a first control information to a first network control system of the distributed network in response to receiving the first virtual machine control information, wherein the first control information is based, at least in part, on the first virtual machine control information;   the first network control system sending at least a portion of the first control information to a number of network systems included in a plurality of network systems that are included in the distributed network; and   the first network control system sending a second control information to the first network system, wherein the second control information is based, at least in part, on the first control information.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , the method further comprising:
 the first virtual machine sending a first packet to the first network system; and   responsive to receiving the first packet, the first network system generating at least one unicast packet using at least one of a portion of the first packet and a portion of the second control information.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein each of the generated unicast packets respectively include at least a portion of the first packet and an ID information. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein a quantity of unicast packets generated corresponds to the number of network systems included in the plurality of network systems. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein each unicast packet of the generated unicast packets includes a destination address of a network system included in the number of network systems. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a second network system receiving a unicast packet;   the second network system processing the received unicast packet;   the second network system identifying a second tenant associated with the unicast packet using a portion of the unicast packet;   the second network system determining a number of second virtual machines registered with the second network system; and   the second network system sending a copy of the processed unicast packet to each second virtual machine of the number of second virtual machines, wherein each second virtual machine is associated with the second tenant.   
     
     
         20 . A computer program product for configuring a distributed network environment, the computer program product comprising:
 program instructions to send, by a first virtual machine of the distributed network, a first virtual machine control information to a first network system of the distributed network, wherein the first virtual machine is associated with a first tenant of the distributed network and is configured to communicate with the first network system, and wherein the first virtual machine control information is associated with the first virtual machine and the first tenant;   program instructions to send, by the first network system, a first control information to a first network control system of the distributed network in response to receiving the first virtual machine control information, wherein the first control information is based, at least in part, on the first virtual machine control information;   program instructions to send, by the first network control system, at least a portion of the first control information to a number of network systems included in a plurality of network systems that are included in the distributed network; and   program instructions to send, by the first network control system, a second control information to the first network system, wherein the second control information is based, at least in part, on the first control information.