Cisco Systems, Inc.
Link state tracking for virtual interfaces

Abstract:

Presented herein are methodologies for tracking a link state of a physical network connection and selectively reporting the link state to virtual machines that rely on the physical network connection. A method includes receiving an indication, at a hypervisor, which is running on a host computer and which instantiates a virtual switch, that a physical link interconnecting the host computer to a network has failed; determining that the physical link serves the virtual switch; determining whether link state tracking is enabled for the physical link; and when link state tracking is enabled for the physical link, notifying a virtual machine, which is running on the host computer and which is being served by the virtual switch, that a connection between the virtual machine and the network has failed.