Abstract: Computer networking devices and controllers thereof may communicate via a secure tunnel. Aspects of the present disclosure provide methods, systems, and devices that facilitate establishment of such tunnels. For example, a method may include: generating, by a computer networking device, a tunneling capabilities message indicating a plurality of different tunnel types supported by the computer networking device; transmitting the tunneling capabilities message to a controller; receiving, from the controller, a tunneling selection response message indicating one of the plurality of different tunnel types; requesting, by the computer networking device, establishment of a tunnel of the one tunnel type indicated by the tunneling selection response message; and establishing the tunnel of the one tunnel type between the computer networking device and the controller.

Abstract: Techniques for exchanging control and configuration information in a network visibility system are provided. In one embodiment, a control plane component of the network visibility system can receive one or more first messages from a data plane component of the network visibility system, where the one or more first messages define one or more forwarding resources available on the data plane component. The control plane component can further retrieve configuration information stored on the control plane component that comprises one or more network prefixes to be monitored by the network visibility system, and can determine one or more mappings between the network prefixes and the forwarding resources. Upon determining the one or more mappings, the control plane component can generate one or more packet forwarding rules based on the mappings.

Abstract: Using a hash function, an L2/L3 switch can produce an FID for a data packet. The L2/L3 switch can select, from among potentially several stored VLAN flooding tables, a particular VLAN flooding table that is associated with a particular VLAN on which the data packet is to be carried. The rows of the particular VLAN flooding table can specify different combinations of the particular VLAN's egress ports. The L2/L3 switch can locate, in the particular VLAN flooding table, a particular row that specifies the FID. The L2/L3 switch can read, from the particular row, a specified subset of the egress ports that are associated with the particular VLAN. The L2/L3 switch can transmit copies of the data packet out each of the egress ports specified in the subset, toward analytic servers connected to those egress ports.

Abstract: Using a hash function, an L2/L3 switch can produce an FID for a data packet. The L2/L3 switch can select, from among potentially several stored VLAN flooding tables, a particular VLAN flooding table that is associated with a particular VLAN on which the data packet is to be carried. The rows of the particular VLAN flooding table can specify different combinations of the particular VLAN's egress ports. The L2/L3 switch can locate, in the particular VLAN flooding table, a particular row that specifies the FID. The L2/L3 switch can read, from the particular row, a specified subset of the egress ports that are associated with the particular VLAN. The L2/L3 switch can transmit copies of the data packet out each of the egress ports specified in the subset, toward analytic servers connected to those egress ports.

Abstract: Using a hash function, an L2/L3 switch can produce an FID for a data packet. The L2/L3 switch can select, from among potentially several stored VLAN flooding tables, a particular VLAN flooding table that is associated with a particular VLAN on which the data packet is to be carried. The rows of the particular VLAN flooding table can specify different combinations of the particular VLAN's egress ports. The L2/L3 switch can locate, in the particular VLAN flooding table, a particular row that specifies the FID. The L2/L3 switch can read, from the particular row, a specified subset of the egress ports that are associated with the particular VLAN. The L2/L3 switch can transmit copies of the data packet out each of the egress ports specified in the subset, toward analytic servers connected to those egress ports.

Abstract: Techniques for implementing intelligent hardware assisted ICMP request processing in a network device are provided. According to one embodiment, the network device can receive an ICMP request packet and write the packet to a protocol buffer configured to queue packets for processing by a management CPU. When the ICMP request packet is ready to be processed by the management CPU, a hardware-based ICMP request handler of the network device can determine whether the ICMP request packet matches any entries in an ICMP table. If the ICMP request packet does match an entry in the ICMP table, the ICMP request handler can generate an ICMP response packet for replying to the ICMP request packet, without sending the ICMP request packet to the management CPU.

Abstract: Using a hash function, an L2/L3 switch can produce an FID for a data packet. The L2/L3 switch can select, from among potentially several stored VLAN flooding tables, a particular VLAN flooding table that is associated with a particular VLAN on which the data packet is to be carried. The rows of the particular VLAN flooding table can specify different combinations of the particular VLAN's egress ports. The L2/L3 switch can locate, in the particular VLAN flooding table, a particular row that specifies the FID. The L2/L3 switch can read, from the particular row, a specified subset of the egress ports that are associated with the particular VLAN. The L2/L3 switch can transmit copies of the data packet out each of the egress ports specified in the subset, toward analytic servers connected to those egress ports.

Abstract: Techniques for efficiently programming forwarding rules in a network system are provided. In one embodiment, a control plane component of the network system can determine a packet forwarding rule to be programmed into a forwarding table of a service instance residing on a data plane component of the network system. The control plane component can then generate a message comprising the packet forwarding rule and a forwarding table index and transmit the message to a given service instance of the data plane component. Upon receiving the message, the data plane component can directly forward the message to the service instance. The packet forwarding rule can then be programmed into a forwarding table of the service instance, at the specified forwarding table index, without involving the management processor of the data plane component.

Abstract: Techniques for exchanging control and configuration information in a network visibility system are provided. In one embodiment, a control plane component of the network visibility system can receive one or more first messages from a data plane component of the network visibility system, where the one or more first messages define one or more forwarding resources available on the data plane component. The control plane component can further retrieve configuration information stored on the control plane component that comprises one or more network prefixes to be monitored by the network visibility system, and can determine one or more mappings between the network prefixes and the forwarding resources. Upon determining the one or more mappings, the control plane component can generate one or more packet forwarding rules based on the mappings.

Abstract: Using a hash function, an L2/L3 switch can produce an FID for a data packet. The L2/L3 switch can select, from among potentially several stored VLAN flooding tables, a particular VLAN flooding table that is associated with a particular VLAN on which the data packet is to be carried. The rows of the particular VLAN flooding table can specify different combinations of the particular VLAN's egress ports. The L2/L3 switch can locate, in the particular VLAN flooding table, a particular row that specifies the FID. The L2/L3 switch can read, from the particular row, a specified subset of the egress ports that are associated with the particular VLAN. The L2/L3 switch can transmit copies of the data packet out each of the egress ports specified in the subset, toward analytic servers connected to those egress ports.