US Patent 10063458 Asymmetric connection with external networks

Some embodiments provide a system that allows for the use of direct host return ports (abbreviated “DHR ports”) on managed forwarding elements to bypass gateways in managed networks. The DHR ports provide a direct connection from certain managed forwarding elements in the managed network to remote destinations that are external to the managed network. Managed networks can include both a logical abstraction layer and physical machine layer. At the logical abstraction layer, the DHR port is treated as a port on certain logical forwarding elements. The DHR port transmits the packet to the routing tables of the physical layer machine that hosts the logical forwarding element without any intervening transmission to other logical forwarding elements. The routing tables of the physical layer machine then strip any logical context associated with a packet and forwarding the packet to the remote destination without any intervening forwarding to a physical gateway provider.