Abstract: In some implementations, a method is provided. The method includes receiving, by an agent of a first container of a network device from a second container of the network device, a request for a forwarding engine of the network device to perform an operation. The first container and the second container are located on a control plane of the network device. The first container comprises a set of drivers to support multiple types of forwarding engines. The first container further comprises an operating system. The method also includes providing the request to the operating system. The operating system uses a first driver of the set of drivers to communicate with the forwarding engine. The method further includes performing the operation requested by the second container. The method further includes providing a result of the operation to the second container in response to determining that the result should be provided to the second container.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes determining an action to be performed with respect to a packet corresponding to a new flow received at a network device and determining whether a new entry comprising an indication of the determined action can be added to a flow table of the network device. The determination of whether a new entry can be added to the flow table is made with reference to reservation information specified in a port profile associated with the new flow. Responsive to a determination that the new entry can be added, the new entry is added to the flow table. In one embodiment, determining whether the new entry can be added comprises determining whether an existing entry can be aged out based on the reservation information specified in the associated port profile.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes identifying common access control list (ACL) parameters and variable ACL parameters among a plurality of tenants in a network, mapping parameter values for the variable ACL parameters to the tenants, generating a multi-tenant access control list for the tenants, storing the multi-tenant access control list and mapping at a network device, and applying the multi-tenant access control list to ports at the network device. The multi-tenant access control list includes the common ACL parameters and variable ACL parameters.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes determining an action to be performed with respect to a packet corresponding to a new flow received at a network device and determining whether a new entry comprising an indication of the determined action can be added to a flow table of the network device. The determination of whether a new entry can be added to the flow table is made with reference to reservation information specified in a port profile associated with the new flow. Responsive to a determination that the new entry can be added, the new entry is added to the flow table. In one embodiment, determining whether the new entry can be added comprises determining whether an existing entry can be aged out based on the reservation information specified in the associated port profile.

Abstract: Techniques are described for identifying destinations in a virtual network by defining virtual entities such as a port profile as the destination for network policies, such as redirect or span to be a logical set of ports (i.e., ports belonging to a port-profile or a port group) where the members of the set of ports may be added/removed dynamically without requiring any changes to the network policy. Further, a network administrator (or other user) may predefine the destinations for a network policy even before some or all of the destinations are active on a given virtualized system. In such cases, the network policies may go into effect when the required entities become available.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes identifying common access control list (ACL) parameters and variable ACL parameters among a plurality of tenants in a network, mapping parameter values for the variable ACL parameters to the tenants, generating a multi-tenant access control list for the tenants, storing the multi-tenant access control list and mapping at a network device, and applying the multi-tenant access control list to ports at the network device. The multi-tenant access control list includes the common ACL parameters and variable ACL parameters.

Abstract: Techniques are described for identifying destinations in a virtual network by defining virtual entities such as a port profile as the destination for network policies, such as redirect or span to be a logical set of ports (i.e., ports belonging to a port-profile or a port group) where the members of the set of ports may be added/removed dynamically without requiring any changes to the network policy. Further, a network administrator (or other user) may predefine the destinations for a network policy even before some or all of the destinations are active on a given virtualized system. In such cases, the network policies may go into effect when the required entities become available.