Patent ID: 9007903
Filing Date: 2015-04-14
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A network system comprising: a plurality of software managed edge (ME) switching elements that are each for (1) coupling to a set of network hosts that operate in a same physical machine as the software ME switching element and (2) forwarding network data, according to a set of flow entries that specify operations for implementing a logical datapath set (LDPS) to which the network hosts couple, to other software ME switching elements in the plurality of software ME switching elements and to the set of network hosts that operate in the same physical machine as the software ME switching elements in order to implement the LDPS; a plurality of managed non-edge (MNE) switching elements, each operating on a separate physical machine from the network hosts and the other managed switching elements, for facilitating communication between the software ME switching elements in order to implement the LDPS; and a set of network controller instances for (1) identifying a definition of the LDPS and (2) managing the MNE and ME switching elements by providing the MNE and ME switching elements with data for specifying the flow entries for forwarding network data between the sets of network hosts based on the identified definition of the LDPS.