Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for highlighting a port of a network device in a network. The method includes receiving, by a processor, a selection of graphical element displayed at a graphical user interface. The network device is separate from the processor. The graphical element corresponds to a port of a network device in a network. The method further includes identifying, by the processor, the port and the network device at which the port is disposed, and transmitting an instruction to the network device to cause a specific signaling component associated with the port to have a different state from other signaling components associated with other ports of the network device in order to highlight the port at the network device to a user.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes techniques for hardware acceleration for routing programs. In some aspects communications between a routing determination program and a packet router are monitored in a router, both the routing determination program and the packet router being part of a software layer of the router. The communications include the routing determination program providing configuration data to the packet router. Based on the monitored communications, a packet processor is changed to reflect the configuration data, the packet processor being part of a hardware layer of the router. The packet processor performs packet routing operations of receiving packets, determining the next routers in the paths to the target destinations of the packets, and sending the packets to the next routers independent of the software layer.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for generating a Layer 2 path indication by a processor. The method includes receiving, by the processor, a request for providing a Layer 2 path indication between a first host and a second host in a network. Nodes in the network are configured to form a plurality of sub-networks to enable data transfer from one host to another host within a sub-network via a Layer 2 path formed of a sequence of intermediate nodes in the same sub-network. The method further includes identifying, by the processor, a sub-network within the network to which the first host and the second host belong, and determining, by the processor, within the sub-network a sequence of intermediate nodes on a path for Layer 2 data transfer between the first host and the second host.

Abstract: A method for providing Layer 2 link attributes to a user includes transmitting a query using a Layer 3 network protocol to at least a first network element to determine a link attribute for a Layer 2 link between the first network element and a second network element in a network, receiving a response indicative of the link attribute for the Layer 2 link, determining based on the received response a graphical line attribute corresponding to the link attribute according to a predetermined mapping of link attributes to graphical line attributes, and updating a line element at a graphical user interface according to the graphical line attribute, the line element connecting at the graphical user interface a first graphical element corresponding to the first network element and a second graphical element corresponding to the second network element.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a queue scheduler configured to schedule frames to be buffered through one of a plurality of queues wherein each queue is designated to buffer frames having a pre-assigned priority. Congestion control logic is configured to change the pre-assigned priority of one or more frames before the one or more frames are scheduled by the queue scheduler to cause the one or more frames to be buffered in a different queue than the queue designated for the pre-assigned priority.

Abstract: A packet processor includes an extraction circuit, a lookup circuit, an assignment circuit, a rule matching circuit, and an action circuit. The extraction circuit generates a first set of values based on a first packet. The lookup circuit stores metadata values. Each of the metadata values corresponds to a respective metadata identifier. The assignment circuit assigns a first metadata identifier to the first packet. The lookup circuit selectively retrieves a first metadata value that corresponds to the first metadata identifier. The rule matching circuit selects a first rule from among a predetermined set of rules based on the first set of values and the first metadata value. The action circuit identifies a first action specified by the first rule and performs the first action. The first action includes modifying the first metadata value of the plurality of metadata values.

Abstract: System and methods are provided for performing deep packet inspection of data packets. An example system includes a packet forwarding component and a virtual machine component. The packet forwarding component is configured to receive data packets for transmission and to select one or more of the data packets based at least in part on a first set of rules for deep packet inspection. The virtual machine component is configured to perform deep packet inspection on the selected data packets according to a second set of rules to determine whether the selected data packets are allowed for transmission. The packet forwarding component is further configured to transmit the selected data packets when the selected data packets are allowed for transmission after the deep packet inspection.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes techniques for hardware acceleration for routing programs. In some aspects communications between a routing determination program and a packet router are monitored in a router, both the routing determination program and the packet router being part of a software layer of the router. The communications include the routing determination program providing configuration data to the packet router. Based on the monitored communications, a packet processor is changed to reflect the configuration data, the packet processor being part of a hardware layer of the router. The packet processor performs packet routing operations of receiving packets, determining the next routers in the paths to the target destinations of the packets, and sending the packets to the next routers independent of the software layer.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for generating a Layer 2 path indication by a processor. The method includes receiving, by the processor, a request for providing a Layer 2 path indication between a first host and a second host in a network. Nodes in the network are configured to form a plurality of sub-networks to enable data transfer from one host to another host within a sub-network via a Layer 2 path formed of a sequence of intermediate nodes in the same sub-network. The method further includes identifying, by the processor, a sub-network within the network to which the first host and the second host belong, and determining, by the processor, within the sub-network a sequence of intermediate nodes on a path for Layer 2 data transfer between the first host and the second host.

Abstract: System and methods are provided for performing deep packet inspection of data packets. An example system includes a packet forwarding component and a virtual machine component. The packet forwarding component is configured to receive data packets for transmission and to select one or more of the data packets based at least in part on a first set of rules for deep packet inspection. The virtual machine component is configured to perform deep packet inspection on the selected data packets according to a second set of rules to determine whether the selected data packets are allowed for transmission. The packet forwarding component is further configured to transmit the selected data packets when the selected data packets are allowed for transmission after the deep packet inspection.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a plurality of queues and a queue scheduler configured to schedule frames from a plurality of Transmission Control Protocol flows. The frames are buffered through one of the plurality of queues based, at least in part on, a pre-assigned priority of the frames. Congestion control logic is configured to change a pre-assigned priority of selected frames from the plurality of Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) flows to reduce TCP global loss synchronization among the plurality of TCP flows.