Abstract: Identity information is decoupled from reachability information in packets transferred between hosts of a computer network by replacing forwarding information within said packets with an identifier having a format of the forwarding information, and applying forwarding labels, derived from the identifiers, which are then used in lieu of the forwarding information for conveying the packets within the network. During such conveyance, the packets are treated according to one or more policies prescribed on a basis of the identifier, which may be an IPv6 address. The forwarding labels may be MPLS labels.

Abstract: To accommodate graceful offloading of connections from a port of a network element, thereby allowing the port to be decommissioned, both existing and new connections allocated to that port according to a load balancing protocol are replicated on a backup port. Thereafter, or concurrently therewith, the port is configured to drop acknowledgements of the new connections, and the port is monitored so as to eventually identify an absence of connections thereon. At that time, the port may be decommissioned inasmuch as all new connections will have been established on the backup port and no previously existing connections on the original port will remain.

Abstract: Methods and systems for synchronizing network configuration state tables between an operating system kernel and an attached ASIC switch device are disclosed. An instruction to update a target network configuration state table in either an operating system kernel or an attached ASIC switch device is received. Data from the target network configuration state table and data from a corresponding network configuration state table are retrieved. Values of data in the two tables are compared and an instruction is sent to update the target network configuration state table with one or more values from the corresponding network configuration state table.

Abstract: Methods and systems for synchronizing network configuration state tables between an operating system kernel and an attached ASIC switch device are disclosed. An instruction to update a target network configuration state table in either an operating system kernel or an attached ASIC switch device is received. Data from the target network configuration state table and data from a corresponding network configuration state table are retrieved. Values of data in the two tables are compared and an instruction is sent to update the target network configuration state table with one or more values from the corresponding network configuration state table.