Abstract: A method supports service level agreement monitoring in a software defined network. The software defined network has forwarding elements and a software defined network controller for controlling the forwarding elements. Data flows are transmitted between a first end-path forwarding element, of the forwarding elements, and a second end-path forwarding element, of the forwarding elements, via at least one intermediate forwarding element, of the forwarding elements. The software defined network controller configures the intermediate forwarding element such that a probe triggering packet is generated based on local information of the intermediate forwarding element. The software defined network controller configures at least one of the first end-path forwarding element or the second end-path forwarding element such that an end-to-end probing is triggered based on receiving the probe triggering packet. The end-to-end probing is performed in order to detect a service level agreement violation.

Abstract: A stateful packet processing system includes: a first stateful stage including a first state table and a first finite state machine (“FSM”) table; and a second stateful stage including a second state table and a second FSM table. The system performs a distribution operation defining when a flow is processed by the first and/or the second stateful stage. The first and/or second FSM table is extended with states and transitions that support the distribution operation. The first and/or second stateful stage executes an evaluation operation that executes the distribution operation. The evaluation operation provides a criterion for moving a particular flow from one of the first or second stateful stage to the other stateful stage. The first and second stateful stages are included in a software-defined networking (“SDN”) switch. The distribution operation operates within defined capabilities of a software and/or hardware pipeline of the SDN switch.

Abstract: A method performs round-trip time determination between a source element and a target element, the source element is a forwarding element of a software defined network, which also includes a software defined network controller for controlling the forwarding elements. The method includes: instructing the source element to install a low priority detection rule, the low priority detection rule being triggerable by an incoming pong probe packet; instructing the source element to install at least one high priority detection rule having a timeout period, the high priority detection rule being triggerable by the incoming pong probe packet; instructing the source element to send a ping probe packet from the source element to the target element; deriving an estimate range for the round-trip time based on the detection rule being triggered by the pong probe packet received by the source element from the target element in response to the ping probe packet.

Abstract: A stateful packet processing system includes: a first stateful stage including a first state table and a first finite state machine (“FSM”) table; and a second stateful stage including a second state table and a second FSM table. The system performs a distribution operation defining when a flow is processed by the first and/or the second stateful stage. The first and/or second FSM table is extended with states and transitions that support the distribution operation. The first and/or second stateful stage executes an evaluation operation that executes the distribution operation. The evaluation operation provides a criterion for moving a particular flow from one of the first or second stateful stage to the other stateful stage. The first and second stateful stages are included in a software-defined networking (“SDN”) switch. The distribution operation operates within defined capabilities of a software and/or hardware pipeline of the SDN switch.

Abstract: A stateful network packet processing system includes first and second stateful stages and a distribution mechanism. The first stateful stage includes a first state table and a first FSM table. The second stateful stage includes a second state table and a second FSM table. The distribution mechanism defines when a flow should be processed by either the first stateful stage or the second stateful stage or by a combination of the first stateful stage and the second stateful stage. At least one of the first or second FSM tables is extended with states and transitions that support the distribution mechanism.

Abstract: A method supports service level agreement monitoring in a software defined network. The software defined network has forwarding elements and a software defined network controller for controlling the forwarding elements. Data flows are transmitted between a first end-path forwarding element, of the forwarding elements, and a second end-path forwarding element, of the forwarding elements, via at least one intermediate forwarding element, of the forwarding elements. The software defined network controller configures the intermediate forwarding element such that a probe triggering packet is generated based on local information of the intermediate forwarding element. The software defined network controller configures at least one of the first end-path forwarding element or the second end-path forwarding element such that an end-to-end probing is triggered based on receiving the probe triggering packet. The end-to-end probing is performed in order to detect a service level agreement violation.

Abstract: A method performs round-trip time determination between a source element and a target element, the source element is a forwarding element of a software defined network, which also includes a software defined network controller for controlling the forwarding elements. The method includes: instructing the source element to install a low priority detection rule, the low priority detection rule being triggerable by an incoming pong probe packet; instructing the source element to install at least one high priority detection rule having a timeout period, the high priority detection rule being triggerable by the incoming pong probe packet; instructing the source element to send a ping probe packet from the source element to the target element; deriving an estimate range for the round-trip time based on the detection rule being triggered by the pong probe packet received by the source element from the target element in response to the ping probe packet.

Abstract: A method for routing traffic in a network includes receiving, by an edge switch, a packet belonging to a traffic class, the packet including a source internet protocol (IP) address and a destination IP address, each of the source IP address and the destination IP address including a redundant information portion and a non-redundant information portion, replacing, by the edge switch, the redundant information portion of the source IP address of the packet belonging to the traffic class and/or the destination IP address of the packet belonging to the traffic class with a logical address of a next service function (SF) in a service function chain (SFC) to which the traffic class is mapped so as to provide a modified packet, and steering the modified packet to the next SF in the SFC.

Abstract: A method for routing traffic in a network includes receiving, by an edge switch, a packet belonging to a traffic class, the packet including a source internet protocol (IP) address and a destination IP address, each of the source IP address and the destination IP address including a redundant information portion and a non-redundant information portion, replacing, by the edge switch, the redundant information portion of the source IP address of the packet belonging to the traffic class and/or the destination IP address of the packet belonging to the traffic class with a logical address of a next service function (SF) in a service function chain (SFC) to which the traffic class is mapped so as to provide a modified packet, and steering the modified packet to the next SF in the SFC.

Abstract: A method for operating a network includes implementing at least one service function chain (SFC) including several service functions (SFs) for providing traffic steering; encoding traffic steering information related to the at least one SFC; and using redundant information in an addressing scheme of network hosts for addressing the SFs.

Abstract: A method for performing path protection in an SDN network includes: establishing protected connections, wherein each of the protected connections is between two endpoint switches and includes a working path along a first set of intermediate switches and at least one protection path along a second set of intermediate switches; providing metadata to the switches, the metadata carrying information about the endpoint switches of protected connections together with a unique identifier allocated to each of the protected connections or to a group of the protected connections following the same path; by the intermediate switches, in case of experiencing a local port and/or link failure, using the metadata to generate a failure message towards endpoint switches of the connections affected by the port and/or link failure; and by the endpoint switches, upon receiving a failure message, switching the affected connections from their working path to their at least one protection path.

Abstract: A stateful network packet processing system includes first and second stateful stages and a distribution mechanism. The first stateful stage includes a first state table and a first FSM table. The second stateful stage includes a second state table and a second FSM table. The distribution mechanism defines when a flow should be processed by either the first stateful stage or the second stateful stage or by a combination of the first stateful stage and the second stateful stage. At least one of the first or second FSM tables is extended with states and transitions that support the distribution mechanism.

Abstract: A method for operating a network includes implementing at least one service function chain (SFC) including several service functions (SFs) for providing traffic steering; encoding traffic steering information related to the at least one SFC; and using redundant information in an addressing scheme of network hosts for addressing the SFs.