Subject: Re: [nvo3] Call for Participation: Using IP Overlays to provide L2 Virtualization

From: Roger Jørgensen <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2011 22:01:31 +0200

after reading through your draft,
http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-narten-nvo3-overlay-problem-statement-00.txt
I got some comments and thoughts.
There might be overlap with other working groups as other have
mention, but it depend a bit on what the scope is...

I see the problem you are trying to address start to build-up momentum
at my current job. I also see some scenarios in the new job I'll be
starting in a couple of months. There we have a decent sized fiber
network inside a local county here in Norway, got connection out of it
to tho. I'll be building services on top of that and it will be pretty
much only virtual machines. I also know we need two datacenters or
more to make it redundant.
Two or more datacenters, two physical installation but one virtual L2
domain with it's own L3 infrastructure on the virtual side....

But over to your draft:-) It is a bit unclear what you are trying to
address and where... and how. The target is so huge...

How I understood it, you are try to address how virtual machines are
moving inside a datacenter between different hosts and be independing
of underlaying infrastructure.

Have you checked out distributed switches (vmware) or Nexus 1000v
(cisco), they are doing something along the same line of what you are
trying to address. But in a bit different way.

I also wonder if it is better to address it is a way to implement a
virtual network between the physical hosts running VMs (virtual
machines). That sound like a much better approach. A bit like what I
mention about two datacenters, but one L2 and L3 network running
across both.

Another usecase for having a virtual network between virtual hosts,
sometimes you need a 100% virtual network only between some VMs
running. Like interconnect between nodes in a database cluster, or the
connection from a database cluster (still virtual) to the frontend
servers (also VMs). Only traffic to/from the frontend servers on the
public side need to enter the physical network.

Something else I wonder about, how are you going to let machines
inside that virtual network communicate with other? LISP-a-like
mechanismes or?
Where should the gateway for any given subnet be, on the VMs hosts or
network devices?
Just, how to address the interconnect between virtual network and
physical network?

--- Roger J ---

On Sat, Oct 1, 2011 at 2:03 AM, Thomas Narten <[email-masked]> wrote:
> A new mailing list has been set up to explore possible IETF work in
> the area of providing L2 network virtualization service over an L3
> (IP) overlay network.
>
> As background, there are a number of drafts that relate to this area,
> including:
>
>    http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-mahalingam-dutt-dcops-vxlan-00
>    http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-sridharan-virtualization-nvgre-00
>    http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-wkumari-dcops-l3-vmmobility-00
>
> I've put together a first-cut at a problem statement that focuses on
> the issues and potential work areas, without getting into solution
> specifics.  See:
>
>    http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-narten-nvo3-overlay-problem-statement-00.txt
>
> There have also been some related vendor announcements and
> presentations as well (these are ones I happen to know of, there are
> surely others). For example:
>
>     http://blogs.cisco.com/datacenter/introducing-vxlan/
>
>     http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps9441/ps9902/white_paper_c11-685115.html
>
>     http://blogs.vmware.com/console/2011/08/towards-virtualized-networking-for-the-cloud.html
>
>     http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/BUILD/BUILD2011/SAC-442T
>
> The list is called nvo3, for "Network Virtualization Over L3", aka
> N-Vee-Oh-3 (we'll see how well that acronym sticks...).
>
> I've put in a formal request to hold a BOF in Taipai, so we can
> explore whether it makes sense to form a WG in this area.
>
> Subscription information for the mailing list can be found at
>
>     List address: [email-masked]
>     Archive: http://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/nvo3/current/maillist.html
>     To subscribe: https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/nvo3
>
> I look forward to your participation!
>
> Thomas
>
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>

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Roger Jorgensen           |
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