Flow generation from second level controller to first level controller to managed switching element

Abstract

A network system that includes a first set of network hosts in a first domain and a second set of network hosts in a second domain. Within each of the domains, the system includes several edge switching elements (SEs) that each couple to the network hosts and forward network data to and from the set of network hosts. Within the first domain, the system includes (i) an interior SE that couples to a particular edge SE in order to receive network data for forwarding from the edge SE when the edge SE does not recognize a destination location of the network data and (ii) an interconnection SE that couples to the interior SE, the edge SE, and the second domain through an external network. When the edge SE receives network data with a destination address in the second domain, it forwards the network data directly to the interconnection SE.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A network control system comprising:
 a first set of network controllers for (i) receiving a definition of a logical network comprising a logical forwarding element spanning at least first and second physical domains and (ii) storing a set of rules defining the logical network, wherein a first plurality of machines in the first physical domain and a second plurality of machines in the second physical domain logically couple to the logical forwarding element;   a second set of network controllers in the first physical domain for (i) receiving a first portion of the set of rules from the first set of network controllers and (ii) translating the received first portion of the set of rules into network configuration data for distribution to a first plurality of physical forwarding elements in the first physical domain for the first plurality of physical forwarding elements to implement the logical network; and   a third set of network controllers in the second physical domain for (i) receiving a second portion of the set of rules from the first set of network controllers and (ii) translating the received second portion of the set of rules into network configuration data for distribution to a second plurality of physical forwarding elements in the second physical domain for the second plurality of physical forwarding elements to implement the logical network.   
     
     
         22 . The network control system of  claim 21 , wherein the first set of network controllers comprises a plurality of controller instances acting as a distributed controller cluster. 
     
     
         23 . The network control system of  claim 21 , wherein the first set of network controllers comprises a single controller instance. 
     
     
         24 . The network control system of  claim 21 , wherein at least one network controller of the first set of network controllers executes a user interface for receiving the definition of the logical network. 
     
     
         25 . The network control system of  claim 21 , wherein the first physical domain is located in a first datacenter and the second physical domain is located in a second, different datacenter. 
     
     
         26 . The network control system of  claim 25 , wherein the first and second sets of network controllers are both located in the first datacenter. 
     
     
         27 . The network control system of  claim 25 , wherein the second set of network controllers is located in the first datacenter and the first set of network controllers is located external to both the first and second datacenters. 
     
     
         28 . The network control system of  claim 21 , wherein the definition of the logical network comprises a definition of the logical forwarding element. 
     
     
         29 . The network control system of  claim 28 , wherein the first and second portions of the set of rules comprise rules relating to the logical forwarding element. 
     
     
         30 . The network control system of  claim 21 , wherein (i) the second set of network controllers is further for directly receiving logical network configuration specific to the first physical domain and (ii) the third set of network controllers is further for directly receiving logical network configuration specific to the second physical domain. 
     
     
         31 . The network control system of  claim 21 , wherein the first plurality of physical forwarding elements implements the logical network for data traffic sent to and from the first plurality of machines and the second plurality of physical forwarding elements implements the logical network for data traffic sent to and from the second plurality of machines. 
     
     
         32 . The network control system of  claim 31 , wherein the first plurality of physical forwarding elements comprises a first set of physical forwarding elements to which the first plurality of machines couple and the second plurality of physical forwarding elements comprises a second set of physical forwarding elements to which the second plurality of machines couple. 
     
     
         33 . The network control system of  claim 32 , wherein the first plurality of machines comprises a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) and the first set of physical forwarding elements comprises a set of software switching elements. 
     
     
         34 . The network control system of  claim 33 , wherein the set of software switching elements execute on host computers in the first physical domain along with the plurality of VMs. 
     
     
         35 . The network control system of  claim 31 , wherein (i) the first plurality of physical forwarding elements encapsulate at least a subset of the data traffic sent to and from the first plurality of machines with information relating to the logical forwarding element and (ii) the second plurality of physical forwarding elements encapsulate at least a subset of the data traffic sent to and from the second plurality of machines with information relating to the logical forwarding element. 
     
     
         36 . The network control system of  claim 21 , wherein the first set of network controllers stores the set of rules defining the logical network as a set of tables. 
     
     
         37 . The network control system of  claim 21 , wherein a machine with a particular address is coupled to a particular logical port of the logical forwarding element, wherein the first set of rules comprises a first rule for logically forwarding a packet with a destination address that matches the particular address to the particular logical port. 
     
     
         38 . The network control system of  claim 21 , wherein the logical forwarding element is a logical switch having a plurality of logical ports to which the machines in the first and second pluralities of machines couple.