Networking

Networking in Mesh Hypervisor enables remote nodes to boot from the central orchestration node and connect as a cluster. It uses PXE for booting and VXLAN for flexible, overlapping node networks. This section outlines the key networking elements.

Boot Networking

Remote nodes boot over Ethernet via PXE:

  • Central Node Services:
    • TFTP: Serves kernel and initramfs.
    • DHCP: Assigns IPs, proxying existing servers or providing its own.
  • Detection: ARP scanning maps network topology by sending packets across ports and tracking responses.

This ensures nodes boot reliably across varied network setups.

Cluster Networking

Post-boot, nodes join VXLAN-based IPv6 networks:

  • VXLAN Meshes: Virtual Layer 2 networks link nodes, with a default mesh for all and custom meshes configurable.
  • Membership: Nodes can belong to multiple meshes, defined in /host0/network/.
  • Addressing: Deterministic IPv6 addresses are derived from node UUIDs.

Workloads on nodes can attach to these meshes for communication.

Diagram

Manages

Manages

Custom IPv6 Mesh

Remote Node 3

Workload 3a

Workload 3b

Default IPv6 Mesh

Remote Node 2

Workload 2a

Workload 2b

Remote Node 1

Workload 1a

Workload 1b

Central Node

Key Features

  • ARP Scanning: Adapts to topology (e.g., multiple ports to one switch) dynamically.
  • IPv6: Powers VXLAN meshes with UUID-based addresses, avoiding collisions.
  • Multi-Mesh: Nodes can join multiple VXLAN networks as needed.
  • Time Sync: Crony aligns clocks to the central node for consistent state reporting.

Notes

Mesh Hypervisor requires Ethernet for PXE (see Prerequisites). VXLAN meshes use IPv6 over this base network. Custom setups are detailed in Network Configuration.

Next, see Workloads for what runs on the nodes.