Abstract: Systems and methods for allowing continuous network traffic processing by an SDN appliance despite a lost or disrupted connection with an SDN controller are provided. According to one embodiment, a software-defined networking (SDN) appliance receives one or more policies/flows from an SDN controller. The policies/flows are locally stored by the SDN appliance within the SDN appliance. Responsive to receipt of a packet to be processed by the SDN appliance, the SDN appliance queries the SDN controller for an appropriate policy or flow for the packet. When a response to the query is not received from the SDN controller within a predefined or configurable timeout period, the SDN appliance processes the packet based on the locally stored one or more policies/flows.

Abstract: Systems and methods for allowing continuous network traffic processing by an SDN appliance despite a lost or disrupted connection with an SDN controller are provided. According to one embodiment, a software-defined networking (SDN) appliance receives one or more policies/flows from an SDN controller. The policies/flows are locally stored by the SDN appliance within the SDN appliance. Responsive to receipt of a packet to be processed by the SDN appliance, the SDN appliance queries the SDN controller for an appropriate policy or flow for the packet. When a response to the query is not received from the SDN controller within a predefined or configurable timeout period, the SDN appliance processes the packet based on the locally stored one or more policies/flows.

Abstract: Systems and methods for scalable SDN devices having ports/network interfaces mapped to cardinal flow processing (CFP) units are provided. According to one embodiment, an incoming packet is received, at a software-defined networking (SDN) switch. An ingress port on which the incoming packet was received is determined. A cardinal direction to which the ingress port is mapped is determined. Based on the determined cardinal direction, the SDN switch identifies a cardinal flow processing (CFP) unit within the SDN switch with which the determined cardinal direction is associated. The SDN switch then causes the incoming packet to be processed by the identified CFP unit.

Abstract: Methods and systems for implementing scalable SDN devices having a flexible data path pipeline having multiple flow tables and a hybrid memory approach are provided. According to one embodiment, an SDN switch performs a method of storing a flow table within a memory device most suitable for the type of rules contained within the flow table. A flow table for use in connection with determining how to process a packet received by the SDN switch is received by the SDN switch. The flow table is stored within a DRAM device of the SDN switch when rules contained within the flow table include keys against which exact matching is performed with fields of the packet. The flow table is stored within a TCAM device of the SDN switch when rules contained within the flow table include keys against which regular expression-based matching is performed with the fields of the packet.

Abstract: Systems and methods for scalable SDN devices having ports/network interfaces mapped to cardinal flow processing (CFP) units are provided. According to one embodiment, an incoming packet is received, at a software-defined networking (SDN) switch. An ingress port on which the incoming packet was received is determined. A cardinal direction to which the ingress port is mapped is determined. Based on the determined cardinal direction, the SDN switch identifies a cardinal flow processing (CFP) unit within the SDN switch with which the determined cardinal direction is associated. The SDN switch then causes the incoming packet to be processed by the identified CFP unit.