Abstract: Disclosed are methods and system to dynamically monitor a number of switching ports of a networking device. In one embodiment, a system is disclosed to monitor network traffic comprising a switch port monitoring device comprising a real-time processor, a packet data processor, a packet queue and a storage device. The system also comprises one or more switches coupled to the switch port monitoring device, where at least one of the switches comprising a switch processor, a switch fabric, one or more ingress/egress ports coupled to the switch fabric, and one or more uplink ports coupling the switch packet to the packet queue of the switch port monitoring device.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods, devices, and systems to provide an end-to-end secure transaction over a software defined network (SDN). In one embodiment, a machine-implemented method comprises opening an in-band virtual secure channel (VSC) or an out-of-band VSC over the SDN; authenticating, through the control plane of a switch managing the SDN, a user of a resource over the in-band VSC or the out-of-band VSC; authorizing the user, through the control plane, access to the resource over the in-band VSC or the out-of-band VSC; and accounting for a transaction conducted by the user accessing the resource, through the control plane, over the in-band VSC or the out-of-band VSC. In another embodiment, a switch to manage the SDN and to implement the method described herein is disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods to automatically and continuously control a switch network using a metadata-driven switch apparatus. In particular, a switch apparatus, comprised of multiple server-grade processors and co-processors coupled with a switch silicon, has a metadata-driven control program running on the switch apparatus to monitor and control the switch apparatus itself and the network traffic running through the switch apparatus. Furthermore, the switch apparatus and metadata-driven control program monitors the network state (health, behavior, and performance) of the entire switch network and receives feedback from the network to improve switch and network controls. The switch network may be composed of one metadata-driven switch apparatus coupled with one or more other metadata-driven switch apparatuses and may also be composed of one metadata-driven switch apparatus coupled with one or more foreign switch apparatuses.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and devices to provide an end-to-end secure transaction over a software defined network (SDN). In one embodiment, a machine-implemented method includes: opening, through an enclave device, an in-band virtual secure channel (VSC) or an out-of-band VSC over the SDN; authenticating, through the enclave device, a user of a resource over the in-band VSC or the out-of-band VSC; facilitating, through the enclave device, an authorization of the user to access the resource over the in-band VSC or the out-of-band VSC; and accounting for a transaction conducted by the user accessing the resource, through the enclave device, over the in-band VSC or the out-of-band VSC.