Hardware assisted virtual switch

Abstract

There is disclosed an example of a computing apparatus for providing a hardware-assisted virtual switch on a host, including: a hardware virtual switch (vSwitch) circuit; and a hardware virtual host (vHost) circuit, the vHost circuit having an interface driver specific to the hardware vSwitch and configured to provide a vHost data plane to: provide a plurality of hardware queues to communicatively couple the hardware vSwitch to a guest virtual function (VF); and present to a virtual network driver of the guest VF an interface that is backward compatible with a software network interface.

1 . Non-transitory machine-readable memory storing instructions for being executed by at least one machine, the at least one machine to be associated with server system hardware, the server system hardware being for use in association with network functions, the network functions being associated, at least in part, with virtualized network functions, the server system hardware to be used in association with Openstack-associated network function virtualization (NFV) orchestration, the server system hardware comprising hardware platforms, the hardware platforms to execute virtual machine instances for use in providing the virtual network functions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one machine, resulting in the server system hardware being configured for performance of operations comprising:
 providing at least one virtualized distributed switch for use in forwarding traffic among the virtual machine instances, the at least one virtualized distributed switch to be distributed in the hardware platforms; and   dynamically allocating resources associated with the server system hardware to at least one network function-related instance for use in providing at least one of the virtual network functions, the resources being configurable to be distributed among multiple geographic locations; wherein:
 at least one virtualized distributed switch is configurable for use with data plane development kit (DPDK) poll mode driver (PMD); 
 the server system hardware is configurable to comprise at least one accelerator; 
 the at least one of the virtual network functions is configurable to be associated, at least in part, with a telecommunications network function virtualization infrastructure; 
 the at least one of the virtual network functions is configurable to implement, at least in part, a session border controller; 
 at least one other of the virtual network functions is configurable to implement, at least in part, one or more of:
 a firewall; 
 a router; 
 network address translation; and/or 
 load balancing; and 
 
 the Openstack-associated NFV orchestration is to be implemented via at least one container. 
   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory machine-readable memory of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the server system hardware is for use with at least one switching and/or routing fabric; and   the at least one switching and/or routing fabric is configurable for use in network traffic communication (1) to and from at least one wide area network, and/or (2) in a data center.   
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory machine-readable memory of  claim 2 , wherein:
 at least certain of the virtual network functions are configurable to provide at least one service chain.   
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory machine-readable memory of  claim 3 , wherein the operations also comprise:
 at least one live migration operation associated, at least in part, with at least one of the virtual machine instances; and   executing, by the server system hardware, at least one hypervisor for use in executing the virtual machine instances.   
     
     
         5 . A method implemented using server system hardware, the server system hardware being for use in association with network functions, the network functions being associated, at least in part, with virtualized network functions, the server system hardware to be used in association with Openstack-associated network function virtualization (NFV) orchestration, the server system hardware comprising hardware platforms, the hardware platforms to execute virtual machine instances for use in providing the virtual network functions, the method comprising:
 providing at least one virtualized distributed switch for use in forwarding traffic among the virtual machine instances, the at least one virtualized distributed switch to be distributed in the hardware platforms; and   dynamically allocating resources associated with the server system hardware to at least one network function-related instance for use in providing at least one of the virtual network functions, the resources being configurable to be distributed among multiple geographic locations; wherein:
 at least one virtualized distributed switch is configurable for use with data plane development kit (DPDK) poll mode driver (PMD); 
 the server system hardware is configurable to comprise at least one accelerator; 
 the at least one of the virtual network functions is configurable to be associated, at least in part, with a telecommunications network function virtualization infrastructure; 
 the at least one of the virtual network functions is configurable to implement, at least in part, a session border controller; 
 at least one other of the virtual network functions is configurable to implement, at least in part, one or more of:
 a firewall; 
 a router; 
 network address translation; and/or 
 load balancing; and 
 
 the Openstack-associated NFV orchestration is to be implemented via at least one container. 
   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the server system hardware is for use with at least one switching and/or routing fabric; and   the at least one switching and/or routing fabric is configurable for use in network traffic communication (1) to and from at least one wide area network, and/or (2) in a data center.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein:
 at least certain of the virtual network functions are configurable to provide at least one service chain.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:
 executing at least one live migration operation associated, at least in part, with at least one of the virtual machine instances; and   executing, by the server system hardware, at least one hypervisor for use in executing the virtual machine instances.   
     
     
         9 . Server system hardware for use, when the server system hardware is in operation, in association with network functions, the network functions being associated, at least in part, with virtualized network functions, the server system hardware to be used in association with Openstack-associated network function virtualization (NFV) orchestration, the server system hardware comprising:
 hardware platforms to execute virtual machine instances for use in providing the virtual network functions;   at least one virtualized distributed switch to be provided, when the server system hardware is in the operation, for use in forwarding traffic among the virtual machine instances, the at least one virtualized distributed switch to be distributed in the hardware platforms; and   resources to be dynamically allocated to at least one network function-related instance for use in providing at least one of the virtual network functions, the resources being configurable to be distributed among multiple geographic locations; wherein:
 at least one virtualized distributed switch is configurable for use with data plane development kit (DPDK) poll mode driver (PMD); 
 the server system hardware is configurable to comprise at least one accelerator; 
 the at least one of the virtual network functions is configurable to be associated, at least in part, with a telecommunications network function virtualization infrastructure; 
 the at least one of the virtual network functions is configurable to implement, at least in part, a session border controller; 
 at least one other of the virtual network functions is configurable to implement, at least in part, one or more of:
 a firewall; 
 a router; 
 network address translation; and/or 
 load balancing; and 
 
 the Openstack-associated NFV orchestration is to be implemented via at least one container. 
   
     
     
         10 . The server system hardware of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the server system hardware is for use with at least one switching and/or routing fabric; and   the at least one switching and/or routing fabric is configurable for use in network traffic communication (1) to and from at least one wide area network, and/or (2) in a data center.   
     
     
         11 . The server system hardware of  claim 10 , wherein:
 at least certain of the virtual network functions are configurable to provide at least one service chain.   
     
     
         12 . The server system hardware of  claim 11 , wherein the server system hardware is configurable to:
 execute at least one live migration operation associated, at least in part, with at least one of the virtual machine instances; and   execute at least one hypervisor for use in executing the virtual machine instances.   
     
     
         13 . A data center for use in processing data, the data center to be associated with at least one wide area network, the data center comprising:
 rack servers for use with the at least one wide area network, the rack servers comprising server system hardware for use, when the server system hardware is in operation, in association with network functions, the network functions being associated, at least in part, with virtualized network functions, the server system hardware to be used in association with Openstack-associated network function virtualization (NFV) orchestration, the server system hardware comprising:
 hardware platforms to execute virtual machine instances for use in providing the virtual network functions; 
 at least one virtualized distributed switch to be provided, when the server system hardware is in the operation, for use in forwarding traffic among the virtual machine instances, the at least one virtualized distributed switch to be distributed in the hardware platforms; and 
 resources to be dynamically allocated to at least one network function-related instance for use in providing at least one of the virtual network functions, the resources being configurable to be distributed among multiple geographic locations; wherein: 
 at least one virtualized distributed switch is configurable for use with data plane development kit (DPDK) poll mode driver (PMD); 
 the server system hardware is configurable to comprise at least one accelerator; 
 the at least one of the virtual network functions is configurable to be associated, at least in part, with a telecommunications network function virtualization infrastructure; 
 the at least one of the virtual network functions is configurable to implement, at least in part, a session border controller; 
 at least one other of the virtual network functions is configurable to implement, at least in part, one or more of:
 a firewall; 
 a router; 
 network address translation; and/or 
 load balancing; and 
 
 the Openstack-associated NFV orchestration is to be implemented via at least one container. 
   
     
     
         14 . The data center of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the server system hardware is for use with at least one switching and/or routing fabric; and   the at least one switching and/or routing fabric is configurable for use in network traffic communication (1) to and from at least one wide area network, and/or (2) in a data center.   
     
     
         15 . The data center of  claim 14 , wherein:
 at least certain of the virtual network functions are configurable to provide at least one service chain.   
     
     
         16 . The data center of  claim 15 , wherein the server system hardware is configurable to:
 execute at least one live migration operation associated, at least in part, with at least one of the virtual machine instances; and   execute at least one hypervisor for use in executing the virtual machine instances.