Abstract: A method may include, by a first network interface: receiving a packet having a flow via a first port of the first network interface; examining the packet to determine an ingress local forwarding identifier (LFID) associated with the flow of the packet; converting the ingress LFID to a global forwarding identifier (GFID) of the network element; and forwarding the packet to a switching element. The method may also include, by the switching element: determining a second network interface for egress of the packet based on the GFID; and forwarding the packet to the second network interface. The method may further include, by the second network interface: converting the GFID to an egress LFID associated with the flow of the packet; and forwarding the packet to a second port of the second network interface and a flow of the second network interface based on the egress LFID.

Abstract: A network processing unit includes a first table, a forwarding table, and a processor. The first table includes a first entry for a network, including a network aging, which includes the network processing unit. The forwarding table includes a second entry associated with a network entity which includes an indication of whether network traffic associated with the entity has been encountered in the current or previous network aging period. The processor is configured to receive an indication from a hardware timer that a hardware aging cycle has ended, and then determine whether the network aging period has ended. If so, the processor is configured to determine for a first network entity in the forwarding table whether traffic associated with the entity has been encountered in the current or previous network aging period. If not, then the processor is configured to remove the given first network entity from the forwarding table.

Abstract: A network processing unit includes a first table, a forwarding table, and a processor. The first table includes a first entry for a network, including a network aging, which includes the network processing unit. The forwarding table includes a second entry associated with a network entity which includes an indication of whether network traffic associated with the entity has been encountered in the current or previous network aging period. The processor is configured to receive an indication from a hardware timer that a hardware aging cycle has ended, and then determine whether the network aging period has ended. If so, the processor is configured to determine for a first network entity in the forwarding table whether traffic associated with the entity has been encountered in the current or previous network aging period. If not, then the processor is configured to remove the given first network entity from the forwarding table.

Abstract: A method may include, by a first network interface: receiving a packet having a flow via a first port of the first network interface; examining the packet to determine an ingress local forwarding identifier (LFID) associated with the flow of the packet; converting the ingress LFID to a global forwarding identifier (GFID) of the network element; and forwarding the packet to a switching element. The method may also include, by the switching element: determining a second network interface for egress of the packet based on the GFID; and forwarding the packet to the second network interface. The method may further include, by the second network interface: converting the GFID to an egress LFID associated with the flow of the packet; and forwarding the packet to a second port of the second network interface and a flow of the second network interface based on the egress LFID.