Tunnel-Enabled Elastic Service Model

摘要

Some embodiments provide novel inline switches that distribute data messages from source compute nodes (SCNs) to different groups of destination service compute nodes (DSCNs). In some embodiments, the inline switches are deployed in the source compute nodes datapaths (e.g., egress datapath). The inline switches in some embodiments are service switches that (1) receive data messages from the SCNs, (2) identify service nodes in a service-node cluster for processing the data messages based on service policies that the switches implement, and (3) use tunnels to send the received data messages to their identified service nodes. Alternatively, or conjunctively, the inline service switches of some embodiments (1) identify service-nodes cluster for processing the data messages based on service policies that the switches implement, and (2) use tunnels to send the received data messages to the identified service-node clusters. The service-node clusters can perform the same service or can perform different services in some embodiments. This tunnel-based approach for distributing data messages to service nodes/clusters is advantageous for seamlessly implementing in a datacenter a cloud-based XaaS model (where XaaS stands for X as a service, and X stands for anything), in which any number of services are provided by service providers in the cloud.

主权项

1. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program for performing a service on data messages associated with a source compute node (SCN), the program for execution by at least one processing unit, the program comprising sets of instructions for:
receiving a data message, associated with the SCN, on which a service action has to be performed; and identifying a primary service node (PSN) in a service node (SN) group that comprises a plurality of SNs for performing the service action; and sending the data message to the identified PSN along a tunnel connected to the PSN, wherein the PSN performs the service action on the data message or forwards the data message to a secondary service node (SSN) in the SN group in order for the SSN to perform the service action.