Abstract: One aspect of the instant application provides a system and method for generating internal traffic for a switch. During operation, the system configures a replication list comprising a plurality of replication entries, with a respective replication entry corresponding to a destination port on the switch. The system generates a seed packet to be replicated for each replication entry in the replication list, with a destination address of a respective replicated packet corresponding to a replication entry. All replicated packets are associated with a virtual local-area network (VLAN) reserved for the internal traffic. The system then forwards the replicated packets along with external packets received by the switch to corresponding destination ports on the switch.

Abstract: One aspect of the instant application provides a system and method for generating internal traffic for a switch. During operation, the system configures a replication list comprising a plurality of replication entries, with a respective replication entry corresponding to a destination port on the switch. The system generates a seed packet to be replicated for each replication entry in the replication list, with a destination address of a respective replicated packet corresponding to a replication entry. All replicated packets are associated with a virtual local-area network (VLAN) reserved for the internal traffic. The system then forwards the replicated packets along with external packets received by the switch to corresponding destination ports on the switch.

Abstract: A dynamic resource allocation system in a switch is provided. During operation, the system can represent, to an operational unit of the switch, a first subset of hardware elements of the switch that are allocated to the operational unit as a logical element. The system can then determine a request for dynamic reallocation of the hardware elements to the operational unit. Accordingly, the system may determine whether the reallocation of the hardware elements is feasible in the switch. If the reallocation of the hardware units is feasible, the system can allocate a second subset of the hardware elements to the operational unit during the runtime of the switch. The system can then incorporate the second subset of the hardware elements into the logical element.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system and method for facilitating a dynamic policy engine with recursive key selection. During operation, the system can receive, at a network device, a user request to create a policy table, the user request including multiple groups of policy fields and specifying an amount of hardware resource for the policy table. The system can in response to determining that an amount of unallocated hardware resource is less than the amount of hardware resource specified in the user request, free a portion of allocated hardware resources and allocate the specified amount of hardware resource for the policy table. The system can identify, based on the user request, an optimized matching policy template that accommodates the multiple groups of policy fields. The system can then configure, based on the optimized matching policy template, one or more hardware template registers; and create the policy table.

Abstract: A dynamic resource allocation system in a switch is provided. During operation, the system can represent, to an operational unit of the switch, a first subset of hardware elements of the switch that are allocated to the operational unit as a logical element. The system can then determine a request for dynamic reallocation of the hardware elements to the operational unit. Accordingly, the system may determine whether the reallocation of the hardware elements is feasible in the switch. If the reallocation of the hardware units is feasible, the system can allocate a second subset of the hardware elements to the operational unit during the runtime of the switch. The system can then incorporate the second subset of the hardware elements into the logical element.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide for forwarding a packet. During operation, the system can identify a plurality of physical links for forwarding the packet received at a first physical port. In response to determining that one or more physical links within the identified plurality of physical links are coupled to a same line card where the first physical port resides, the system chooses one of the determined physical links coupled to the same line card for forwarding the packet. In response to determining that no physical link within the plurality of physical links is coupled to the same line card, the system chooses one physical link within the plurality of physical links for forwarding the packet.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide for forwarding a packet. During operation, the system can identify a plurality of physical links for forwarding the packet received at a first physical port. In response to determining that one or more physical links within the identified plurality of physical links are coupled to a same line card where the first physical port resides, the system chooses one of the determined physical links coupled to the same line card for forwarding the packet. In response to determining that no physical link within the plurality of physical links is coupled to the same line card, the system chooses one physical link within the plurality of physical links for forwarding the packet.

Abstract: In an example implementation, a method is provided. The method includes receiving at a switch a packet having a tuple, wherein the tuple comprises a plurality of fields, wherein the switch operates using a protocol that compares each one of the plurality of fields to a table of a plurality of tables in series. The switch compares the plurality of fields of the tuple to a single cache table instead of the plurality of tables in series. When a match is found, a plurality of actions associated with the plurality of fields of the tuple is accumulated. The plurality of actions is applied to the packet.

Abstract: In some examples, a system populates a distribution data structure useable by a switch in distributing communications of data packets across a plurality of network paths for the switch. In response to an addition of a new network path or a removal of an existing network path for the switch, the system updates entries of the distribution data structure using a process that identifies selected entries of the distribution data structure to skip as part of updating the distribution data structure.

Abstract: In some examples, a system populates a distribution data structure useable by a switch in distributing communications of data packets across a plurality of network paths for the switch. In response to an addition of a new network path or a removal of an existing network path for the switch, the system updates entries of the distribution data structure using a process that identifies selected entries of the distribution data structure to skip as part of updating the distribution data structure.

Abstract: Example implementations relate to a networking device. For example, an implementation may receive a data processing packet identified as belonging to a processing virtual local area network. The networking device may execute an instruction associated with the data processing packet on data associated with the data processing packet and store resultant data in the payload of the data processing packet. The networking device may route the data processing packet with resultant data stored in the payload to a next device.

Abstract: Examples herein disclose a processor to receive a list of switching events. The list of switching events is internal to a networking device and capable of detection by a programmable engine. The processor subscribes to a subset of the switching events based on a selection from the list of switching events.

Abstract: In some examples, a network switch includes an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a processing resource, and a memory resource storing machine readable instructions. The instructions are to cause the processing resource to: accumulate an action set for a first packet received by the switch; fetch an action from the action set; determine, with the ASIC, whether the fetched action is to be performed immediately on the first packet; in response to determining that the fetched action is to be performed immediately, generate a second packet from the first packet; and output one of the first and second packets through an output port without further processing of the packet after generation of the second packet.

Abstract: In one implementation, a system for maintaining a flow pipeline includes a logical table interface engine to expose an interface to receive a maintenance request regarding a flow pipeline of a network element, a map engine to maintain an entry in a first hardware table based on an action of the maintenance request associated with a logical flow table, and a hardware table engine to maintain the second hardware table of the network element based on the entry in the first hardware table.

Abstract: Examples herein disclose a processor to receive a list of switching events. The list of switching events is internal to a networking device and capable of detection by a programmable engine. The processor subscribes to a subset of the switching events based on a selection from the list of switching events.

Abstract: Example implementations relate to a networking device. For example, an implementation may receive a data processing packet identified as belonging to a processing virtual local area network. The networking device may execute an instruction associated with the data processing packet on data associated with the data processing packet and store resultant data in the payload of the data processing packet. The networking device may route the data processing packet with resultant data stored in the payload to a next device.

Abstract: Examples herein disclose a system including a meter and a networking component. The meter measures a flow rate associated with networking traffic. The networking component identifies a software defined networking (SDN) action path among multiple SDN action paths to perform on the networking traffic based on the measured flow rate.

Abstract: In example implementations, a method includes a software defined network (SDN) controller that selects an encryption key. The SDN controller then sends a first instruction to a source node to modify a flow table of the source node to include an action that includes the encryption key. A second instruction is sent by the SDN controller to a destination node to modify a flow table of the destination node to include an action that includes the encryption key. The SDN controller can then control a data packet that is encrypted by the source node with the encryption key to be sent from the source node to the destination node, wherein the data packet is to be decrypted with the encryption key by the destination node.

Abstract: In an example implementation, a method is provided. The method includes receiving at a switch a packet having a tuple, wherein the tuple comprises a plurality of fields, wherein the switch operates using a protocol that compares each one of the plurality of fields to a table of a plurality of tables in series. The switch compares the plurality of fields of the tuple to a single cache table instead of the plurality of tables in series. When a match is found, a plurality of actions associated with the plurality of fields of the tuple is accumulated. The plurality of actions is applied to the packet.

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes receiving, with a programmable Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) of a network switch, data packet pre-processing instructions; receiving, with the ASIC, a data packet including payload data and metadata; extracting, with the ASIC, a subset of the metadata based on the received pre-processing instructions; compiling, with the ASIC, the extracted subset of metadata into a data structure; and sending, to the CPU, the data structure compiled by the ASIC.