Method and system for virtual port communications

Abstract

A method and system may provide virtual port communications. A data frame, containing a destination identifier in a destination field and payload, may be modified by inserting a first virtual machine tag therein. The first virtual machine tag may include a first virtual port identifier for identifying a first logical interface of a first virtual machine on a virtual machine host.

1 . A method comprising:
 modifying a data frame by inserting a first virtual machine tag therein;   wherein the data frame comprises a destination identifier in a destination field and a payload, and the first virtual machine tag comprises a first virtual port identifier for identifying a first logical interface of a first virtual machine on a virtual machine host.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 forwarding the data frame from the first virtual machine to a network interface controller on the virtual machine host;   and modifying the data frame by inserting the first virtual machine tag therein.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising:
 forwarding the modified data frame from the network interface controller via a physical port on the virtual machine host to an edge switch, the edge switch being connected to the virtual machine host and to a network and comprising a forwarding database; and   removing the virtual machine tag from the modified data frame.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , comprising:
 performing an address lookup in the forwarding database on the destination identifier;   determining if the destination identifier corresponds to a virtual port internal to the virtual machine host;   modifying the data frame by inserting a second virtual machine tag in the data frame if the destination identifier matches the destination identifier corresponding to a second virtual machine on the virtual machine host, said second virtual machine tag comprising a second virtual port identifier for identifying a second logical interface of the second virtual machine on the virtual machine host;   forwarding the modified data frame containing the second virtual machine tag from the edge switch to the network interface controller via the physical port on the virtual machine host;   removing the second virtual machine tag from the modified data frame containing the second virtual machine tag; and   forwarding the data frame to the second virtual machine.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , comprising:
 performing an address lookup in the forwarding database on the destination identifier;   determining if the destination identifier corresponds to a virtual port internal to the virtual machine host; and   forwarding the data frame on the network if the destination identifier of the data frame corresponds to a location external to the virtual machine host.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 performing an address lookup on the destination identifier in a forwarding database at an edge switch comprising the forwarding database;   determining if the destination identifier corresponds to the first virtual machine; and   forwarding the modified data frame from the edge switch to a network interface controller on the virtual machine host via a physical port on the virtual machine host, wherein the edge switch is connected to the virtual machine host and a network, the data frame is modified by the edge switch, and the destination of the data frame is the first virtual machine.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising
 removing the virtual machine tag from the modified data frame; and   forwarding the data frame to the first virtual machine.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the removing and said forwarding operations are repeated for each of the members of a multicast group that are virtual machines on the virtual machine host. 
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 a virtual machine host to host one or more virtual machines, the virtual machine host comprising   a first virtual machine to forward a data frame, the virtual machine having a first logical interface and having associated therewith a first virtual port identifier to identify the first logical interface;   wherein the data frame comprises a destination identifier in a destination field and a payload.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the virtual machine host comprises:
 a network interface controller, connected to the first virtual machine to modify the data frame by inserting a first virtual machine tag therein, the first virtual machine tag comprising the first virtual port identifier; and   a physical port, connected to the network controller, to interface with an external device;   wherein the first virtual machine is configured to forward the data frame to the network controller.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , comprising:
 a edge switch, connected to a network and the virtual machine host via the physical port, to remove the first virtual machine tag from the modified data frame, the edge switch comprising a forwarding database;   wherein the network interface controller is configured to forward the modified data frame to the edge switch via the physical port.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the edge switch is configured:
 to perform an address lookup in the forwarding database on the destination identifier;   to determine if the destination identifier corresponds to a virtual port internal to the virtual machine host;   to modify the data frame by inserting a second virtual machine tag in the data frame if the destination identifier matches a destination identifier corresponding to a second virtual machine on the virtual machine host, said second virtual machine tag comprising a second virtual port identifier for identifying a second logical interface of the second virtual machine on the virtual machine host; and   to forward the modified data frame containing the second virtual machine tag from the edge switch to the network interface controller via the physical port on the virtual machine host;   wherein the network interface controller is configured to remove the second virtual machine tag from the modified data frame containing the second virtual machine tag and to forward the data frame to the second virtual machine.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the edge switch is configured:
 to perform an address lookup in the forwarding database on the destination identifier database;   to determine if the destination identifier corresponds to a virtual port internal to the virtual machine host; and   to forward the data frame on the network if the destination identifier of the data frame corresponds to a location external to the virtual machine host.   
     
     
         14 . A system comprising:
 an edge switch, connected to a network and a virtual machine host via a physical port on the virtual machine host, comprising a forwarding database, the edge switch configured to receive from the network a data frame, the data frame comprising a destination identifier in a destination field and a payload, to perform an address lookup in the forwarding database on the destination identifier, to determine if the destination identifier corresponds to a virtual port internal to the virtual machine host; and to modify the data frame by inserting a virtual machine tag therein if the destination identifier corresponds to a virtual port identifier of a virtual machine internal to the virtual machine host;   wherein the virtual machine host is to host the virtual machine and comprises the virtual machine, the virtual machine having a logical interface and having associated therewith a virtual port identifier to identify the logical interface.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the virtual machine host comprises:
 a physical port, connected to the edge switch, to interface with the edge switch; and   a network interface controller, connected to the physical port, to receive the modified data frame, to remove the virtual machine tag from the modified data frame, and to forward the data frame to the virtual machine.