Network workflow replay tool

Abstract

A method of automatically identifying and recreating tenants environment issues in a set of datacenters by a workflow replay tool is provided. Each datacenter includes a network manager server. The method analyzes, by the workflow replay tool, a set of log files generated in the particular tenant's environment to identify tenant's workflows. The method analyzes, by the workflow replay tool, network manager server databases of the tenant's environment to identify the logical entities in the tenant environment used by the identified workflows. The method allocates resources in a lab environment to simulate the tenant's environment. The method reruns the identified tenant's workflows by the workflow replay tool using the allocated resources in the lab environment to recreate tenant environment issues.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of recreating network issues in a logical network comprising a plurality of logical forwarding elements (LFE), each LFE implemented by a plurality of physical forwarding elements (PFEs), the method comprising:
 at a workflow replicator:
 retrieving a set of log files collected from the PFEs associated with a plurality of workflows deploys; 
 retrieving records identifying LFEs implemented by the PFEs; 
 allocating resources in a lab environment in order to run simulated operation of workflows in the logical network; and 
 performing simulated workflow operations in the lab environment by using the allocated resources to identify network issues. 
   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein retrieving the log files comprises retrieving the log files from a set of one or more network managers of a set of one or more datacenters. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein retrieving the records comprises retrieving the records from one or more databases of one or more network managers. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising analyzing the log files to identify a set of tasks in each log file, each task comprising a set of events, each event associated with a workflow. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein analyzing the log files comprises:
 identifying event precedence for each identified task; and   identifying timestamps for each event.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising generating reports using the identified precedence and timelines of the events. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein performing simulated workflow operations comprises performing the tasks in a same precedence as identified by the event precedence of each task and a same timeline as identified by the timestamp of each event. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising parsing the log files into a hierarchical data structure comprising one of a parse tree and an abstract syntax tree, wherein analyzing the log files further comprises identifying the set of tasks in each log file using the data structure. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising analyzing the records to identify a definition of a set of entities associated with the logical network. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the set of entities comprises forwarding elements, data compute nodes (DCNs), and network connections. 
     
     
         31 . A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program for processing recreating network issues in a logical network comprising a plurality of logical forwarding elements (LFE), each LFE implemented by a plurality of physical forwarding elements (PFEs), the program comprising sets of instructions for:
 at a workflow replicator:
 retrieving a set of log files collected from the PFEs associated with a plurality of workflows deploys; 
 retrieving records identifying LFEs implemented by the PFEs; 
 allocating resources in a lab environment in order to run simulated operation of workflows in the logical network; and 
 performing simulated workflow operations in the lab environment by using the allocated resources to identify network issues. 
   
     
     
         32 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the set of instructions for retrieving the log files comprises a set of instructions for retrieving the log files from a set of one or more network managers of a set of one or more datacenters. 
     
     
         33 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 32 , wherein the set of instructions for retrieving the records comprises a set of instructions for retrieving the records from one or more databases of one or more network managers. 
     
     
         34 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 31 , the program further comprising a set of instructions for analyzing the log files to identify a set of tasks in each log file, each task comprising a set of events, each event associated with a workflow. 
     
     
         35 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the set of instructions for analyzing the log files comprises sets of instructions for:
 identifying event precedence for each identified task; and   identifying timestamps for each event.   
     
     
         36 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 35 , the program further comprising a set of instructions for generating reports using the identified precedence and timelines of the events. 
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the set of instructions for performing simulated workflow operations comprises a set of instructions for performing the tasks in a same precedence as identified by the event precedence of each task and a same timeline as identified by the timestamp of each event. 
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 34 , the program further comprising a set of instructions for parsing the log files into a hierarchical data structure comprising one of a parse tree and an abstract syntax tree, wherein the set of instructions for analyzing the log files further comprises a set of instructions for identifying the set of tasks in each log file using the data structure. 
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 31 , the program further comprising a set of instructions for analyzing the records to identify a definition of a set of entities associated with the logical network. 
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 39 , wherein the set of entities comprises forwarding elements, data compute nodes (DCNs), and network connections.