A method of utilizing the same hardware network interface card (NIC) in a gateway of a datacenter to communicate datacenter tenant packet traffic and packet traffic for a set of applications that execute in the user space of the gateway and utilize a network stack in the kernel space of the gateway. The method sends and receives packets for the datacenter tenant packet traffic through a packet datapath in the user space. The method sends incoming packets from the NIC to the set of applications through the datapath in the user space, a user-kernel transport driver connecting the kernel network stack to the datapath in the user space, and the kernel network stack. The method receives outgoing packets at the NIC from the set of applications through the kernel network stack, the user-kernel transport driver, and the data path in the user space.

A method of utilizing the same hardware network interface card (NIC) in a gateway of a datacenter to communicate datacenter tenant packet traffic and packet traffic for a set of applications that execute in the user space of the gateway and utilize a network stack in the kernel space of the gateway. The method sends and receives packets for the datacenter tenant packet traffic through a packet datapath in the user space. The method sends incoming packets from the NIC to the set of applications through the datapath in the user space, a user-kernel transport driver connecting the kernel network stack to the datapath in the user space, and the kernel network stack. The method receives outgoing packets at the NIC from the set of applications through the kernel network stack, the user-kernel transport driver, and the data path in the user space.

Deterministic real-time multi-protocol heterogeneous packet-based transport is achieved by traffic shaping. When receiving a plurality of packets from a root complex where contents of each packet from the plurality of packets organized in accordance with a first protocol, a sequence number is added to each packet and a packet type is identified. Every packet in the first plurality of packets is encapsulated into at least one packet organized in accordance with a second protocol to form a second plurality of packets organized in accordance with the second protocol. All the packets from the second plurality of packets pass traffic scheduling or traffic shaping prior being sent via a plurality of connections to avoid burstiness and to achieve bounded transport latency in the plurality of connections, thereby providing deterministic real-time behavior in distributed systems.

Deterministic real-time multi-protocol heterogeneous packet-based transport is achieved by traffic shaping. When receiving a plurality of packets from a root complex where contents of each packet from the plurality of packets organized in accordance with a first protocol, a sequence number is added to each packet and a packet type is identified. Every packet in the first plurality of packets is encapsulated into at least one packet organized in accordance with a second protocol to form a second plurality of packets organized in accordance with the second protocol. All the packets from the second plurality of packets pass traffic scheduling or traffic shaping prior being sent via a plurality of connections to avoid burstiness and to achieve bounded transport latency in the plurality of connections, thereby providing deterministic real-time behavior in distributed systems.

Presented herein are techniques to provide an endpoint in a multi-site Software-defined network (SDN) fabric with an Internet access route that is optimal for the specific site in which the endpoint is located. In particular, a control plane node in a first site of a multi-site SDN fabric registers a border node in the first site as a Default Egress Tunnel Router (ETR) for Internet access or unknown endpoint identifier (EID) of the first site. The first site includes at least one endpoint. The control plane node receives a request for Internet access for the at least one endpoint and provides a dynamically-selected Internet access route via a same or different virtual instance (e.g., Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) function(s), Virtual Private Network(s) (VPNs), Virtual Networks (VNs), etc.) for Internet traffic sent by the at least one endpoint.

Presented herein are techniques to provide an endpoint in a multi-site Software-defined network (SDN) fabric with an Internet access route that is optimal for the specific site in which the endpoint is located. In particular, a control plane node in a first site of a multi-site SDN fabric registers a border node in the first site as a Default Egress Tunnel Router (ETR) for Internet access or unknown endpoint identifier (EID) of the first site. The first site includes at least one endpoint. The control plane node receives a request for Internet access for the at least one endpoint and provides a dynamically-selected Internet access route via a same or different virtual instance (e.g., Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) function(s), Virtual Private Network(s) (VPNs), Virtual Networks (VNs), etc.) for Internet traffic sent by the at least one endpoint.

A parallel flooding topology repair method performed by a node for repairing a flooding topology. The parallel flooding topology repair method detects a failed link and/or a failed node on a flooding topology, determines whether the failed link and/or failed node results in a flooding topology split, and repair the flooding topology by performing a local flooding topology repair process when the flooding topology is split.

A parallel flooding topology repair method performed by a node for repairing a flooding topology. The parallel flooding topology repair method detects a failed link and/or a failed node on a flooding topology, determines whether the failed link and/or failed node results in a flooding topology split, and repair the flooding topology by performing a local flooding topology repair process when the flooding topology is split.

A routing device for forwarding data packets in a data network is described. The routing device establishes a communicative connection with multiple other such routing devices that implement the same functions. A data network includes multiple routing devices as described herein. In that data network, each routing device implements and applies a proactive approach with routing tables in a stable part of the data network, and a reactive approach in an unstable part of the data network. When a packet is transmitted from a stable part of the data network to an unstable part of the data network (or vice versa), the forwarding approach is changed along the path of the packet. Thus, the routing device and the data network mitigate the effect of overhead of proactive routing approaches and the latency of reactive routing approaches.

A routing device for forwarding data packets in a data network is described. The routing device establishes a communicative connection with multiple other such routing devices that implement the same functions. A data network includes multiple routing devices as described herein. In that data network, each routing device implements and applies a proactive approach with routing tables in a stable part of the data network, and a reactive approach in an unstable part of the data network. When a packet is transmitted from a stable part of the data network to an unstable part of the data network (or vice versa), the forwarding approach is changed along the path of the packet. Thus, the routing device and the data network mitigate the effect of overhead of proactive routing approaches and the latency of reactive routing approaches.