Abstract: A method for generating an application-aware virtual topology (AAVT) routing table for a network device among network devices connected via a wide area network is provided. The method is executed by a network controller connected to the network and includes: receiving, from the network devices, path information of the network devices; generating, using the path information, an underlay graph specifying a path topology of the network device; generating, based on the path topology specified in the underlay graph, the AAVT routing table for the network device where the AAVT routing table includes a set of paths; and transmitting, in response to generating the AAVT routing table, the AAVT routing table to the network device to cause the network device to program the set of paths.

Abstract: In general, embodiments relate to a method for managing a network device. The method includes detecting a change of at least one physical port on the network device; and in response to detecting the change, disabling the at least one physical port, wherein disabling the at least one physical port prevents the at least one physical port from being allocated to any logical port on a network processor in the network device.

Abstract: An EVPN network device may advertise an EVPN IMET (type-3) route in a corresponding message to one or more peer EVPN network devices. The EVPN IMET route advertisement message may include an E-tree extended community indicating a leaf or root designation of a locally attached site at the advertising EVPN network device. The inclusion of the E-tree extended community in the EVPN IMET route advertisement message may provide desired traffic handling for implementing an EVPN E-tree service such as handling of BUM traffic.

Abstract: Systems and methods that allow configuration of a path at a network device using a representative user visible interface for that path are disclosed. A feature of this path may thus be configured using this representative user visible interface through a configuration interface of the network device. When a feature for the path is configured by reference to its corresponding representative user visible interface, the interfaces of that path that correspond to that feature can be determined and the configuration for that feature can be applied to interfaces of the path, even where those interfaces reside in different subdomains.

Abstract: A method for distributing information includes: receiving, at a replicator, a single data stream originating from a data source where the single data stream includes a first plurality of data units from the data source; replicating, by the replicator, the single data stream to obtain a first replicated data stream and a second replicated data stream; adding a delay between the first plurality of data units in the single data stream before replicating the single data stream; transmitting the first replicated data stream to a first data recipient using a first communication channel; and transmitting the second replicated data stream to a second data recipient using a second communication channel. The replication of the single data stream is performed by a lower layer device to obtain the first replicated data stream and the second replicated data stream substantially synchronously.

Abstract: A network device may receive one or more configuration scripts as part of provisioning information in a secure device provisioning operation. When executing a particular configuration script, the network device may maintain a timeout value indicative of an allocated time for completion of the execution of the configuration script. The network device may update the timeout value based on an indication in the configuration script.

Abstract: A switching system manager programmed to obtain a base lookup data structure comprising nodes that enumerate all prefixes of a first traffic management policy of a first type and all prefixes of a second traffic management policy of a second type, modify the base lookup data structure based on a first set of inheritance rules associated with the first traffic management policy to generate an updated lookup data structure comprising first traffic management policy label allocations, modify the updated lookup data structure based on a second set of inheritance rules associated with the second traffic management policy to generate a combined lookup data structure comprising the first traffic management policy label allocations and second traffic management policy label allocations, program packet classification hardware of the switching system to adapt the switching system to process packets based on the combined lookup data structure.

Abstract: A method and system for centralized network multicast state publication. Specifically, in overcoming the limitation(s) of existing monitoring and/or reporting approaches to ascertaining network multicast state, embodiments disclosed herein deliver a solution for centralized network multicast state publication. To that end, embodiments disclosed herein employ a centralized network controller configured to obtain aggregated network state, including network multicast state, through embedded logical agents interspersed across a network (e.g., on each network device). Thereafter, the network multicast state may be published through one or many notification channel(s) to any number of subscribing consumers interested in the network multicast state. Furthermore, the notification channel(s) may be implemented using an open-source, distributed, in-memory database that also features a message queuing (or messaging) system.

Abstract: A method for servicing network traffic in a wide area network (WAN) comprising a plurality of network devices is provided. The method is executed by a network device among the plurality of network devices and comprises: receiving a request to transmit the network traffic to a destination network device where the request specifies that the network traffic is to be serviced by a network service; determining, based on the request and using a service-aware virtual topology (SAVT) routing table, a path through the WAN for reaching the network service and a service instance identifier (ID) of the network service; configuring the network traffic to include a service bit indicating whether service is to be performed and instructions specifying the path for reaching the network service; and transmitting, after configuring the network traffic, the network traffic toward the destination device through the at least one network service.

Abstract: A method of operating a network device is provided. In response to an unplanned reboot, the network device can determine whether an unplanned reboot expedited recovery feature has been enabled on the network device. After determining that the unplanned reboot expedited recovery feature is enabled, the network device can identify a cause of the unplanned reboot. If the cause of the unplanned reboot is from a first set of events, a first bootup sequence can be performed. If the cause of the unplanned reboot is from a second set of events, a second bootup sequence that is expedited relative to the first bootup sequence can be performed.

Abstract: A method and system for maintaining persistent network policies for a virtual machine (VM) that includes determining a name of the VM executing on a first host connected to a first network device; binding the name of the VM to a network policy for the VM on the first network device; acquiring from VM management software, using the name of the VM, a universally unique identifier (UUID) of the VM; associating the UUID to the network policy on the first network device; applying the network policy for the VM on the first network device; subscribing to receive notifications from the VM management software of changes to the configuration of the VM corresponding to the UUID; receiving notification from the VM management software of a configuration change made to the VM corresponding to the UUID; and updating the network policy of the VM to reflect the configuration change of the VM.

Abstract: A network device can include a main processor and a packet processor. A method is provided that includes storing a table of values in the packet processor, using the packet processor to receive from the main processor a value that can be used to update the table of values, and using acceleration hardware in the packet processor to update the table of values based on the value received from the main processor without any additional interaction with the software running on the main processor.

Abstract: In general, embodiments relate to a method, for managing a network device, that includes accessing, by a feature agent of the network device, an allocation data structure, wherein the allocation data structure specifies a first portion of memory and a second portion of memory, identifying, using the allocation data structure, the first portion of the memory to be used during an upgrade, wherein the second portion of memory is used for storing a network device table, wherein the network device table is used by a packet transmission component while the upgrade is being performed, and upon completion of the upgrade, updating the allocation data structure to specify that the packet transmission component use a second network device table and stop using the network device table, wherein the second network device table is initially populated during the upgrade.

Abstract: In general, embodiments relate to a method for managing traffic flow along a path between network devices. The method includes initiating, by an end-point network device, monitoring of the path, wherein the end-point network device transmits packets to a target network device over the path, detecting after the initiating, by the end-point network device, that at least a portion of the path has failed, wherein the portion of the path that has failed is external to the end-point network device, in response to the detecting, identifying which portions of network device hardware in the source network device need to be updated to redirect the packets from the end-point network device to the target network device to take a second path, and updating the identified portions of the network device hardware.

Abstract: Synchronization of clocks among computing devices in a network includes determining master/slave relations among the computing devices. Some computing devices (e.g., switches) include trunk ports configured to carry traffic for several logical networks; e.g., virtual local area networks, VLANs. A trunk port can be associated with a master/slave setting for each logical network that it is configured for. Synchronization of clocks among the computing devices further includes running a synchronization sequence between a trunk port and each computing device on each of the logical networks configured on the trunk port.

Abstract: Techniques for operating a network device are provided. In some embodiments, a method may comprise: forwarding multicast data packets from a source in a first customer network to a receiver in a second customer network; detecting that another PE device is forwarding the multicast data packets, wherein: Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) is enabled on supplemental bridge domain (SBD) logical interfaces of the PE device and the another PE device, the PE device and the another PE device are PIM neighbors, and the PE device and the another PE device communicate with each other and with the receiver using the PIM protocol through an Ethernet virtual private network (EVPN). The method may further comprise: determining the another PE device is an assert winner from among the PE device and the another PE device based on at least one PIM assert message, the another PE device forwarding the multicast data packets.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that grows and/or shrinks a table that is shared between a writer and a plurality of readers is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a device receives an entry to be added to the shared table. In response to receiving the entry, the device remaps shared table to add a new storage segment to the shared table. The device further adds the entry to the shared table, where the entry is stored in the new storage segment. In addition, the device updates a shared table characteristic to indicate that the shared table has changed. The device further shrinks the shared table by remapping the table to remove a segment of the table.

Abstract: Management of a plurality of sub-tunnels is disclosed herein. Resource utilization of a plurality of sub-tunnels of a network tunnel implementing a Resource Reservation Protocol is monitored. A resource utilization of a first set of the sub-tunnels exceeding a defined utilization threshold is detected. As a result of the detection, an adjusted resource utilization is determined for a second set of the sub-tunnels. The resource utilization of the second set of sub-tunnels may be less than a defined utilization threshold. The adjusted resource utilization is established for the second set of sub-tunnels for a next measurement interval. The adjusted resource utilization of each sub-tunnel of the second subset of sub-tunnels may be less than a lowest resource utilization among the first set of sub-tunnels.

Abstract: A method for processing network communications, the method including receiving a network packet at a network device and performing at least one lookup for the packet in one or more first lookup tables in which the one or more first lookup tables are programmed to include at least one of an exact match or longest prefix match (LPM) table entry. The method includes obtaining a security source segment and a security destination segment based upon the result of the at least one lookup for the packet in the one or more first lookup tables. The method further includes performing a lookup in a second lookup table based upon the security source segment and security destination segment in which the second lookup table is programmed in a content addressable memory. Based upon the result of the lookup in the second lookup table, processing a forwarding decision for the packet according to the security source segment and security destination segment.

Abstract: A method and system for multicast flow restoration following network failure detection. Specifically, in addressing the aftermath following a network failure, one or more embodiments disclosed herein propose a solution through which failure-impacted network multicast(s) may be identified and, subsequently, restored with or without third-party intervention. To that end, one or more embodiments disclosed herein employ(s) a centralized network controller configured to obtain aggregated network state, including network topology information, through numerous logical agents interspersed across a network. Thereafter, the aggregated network state may be leveraged to ascertain and remedy any network multicast disruptions.