Patent ID: 9552219
Date: 2017-01-24
CPC Classifications: G06F,H04L

Claim:
1. For a first middlebox element executing on a first host, a method comprising: providing a middlebox service for a logical middlebox to a virtual machine (VM) operating in the first host, wherein the first middlebox element is one of a plurality of middlebox elements executing on a plurality of hosts that implement the logical middlebox to provide the middlebox service to a plurality of VMs operating in the plurality of hosts, the plurality of VMs logically connected through a logical network comprising the logical middlebox; receiving a notification from a migration module before the VM migrates from the first host to a second host; and supplying middlebox state information relating to the VM to the migration module, wherein the migration module subsequently sends the middlebox state information to the second host when the VM migrates to the second host, in order for a second middlebox element executing on the second host to continue providing the middlebox service to the VM operating in the second host.