Abstract: A method executed by a control device in a software defined network where, according to the method, after establishing a control channel with a switching device, the control device obtains an identifier of the control channel. Then, the control device generates a flow entry, where the flow entry includes a match field and the identifier of the control channel. Further, the control device sends the flow entry to the switching device, where the flow entry is used to instruct the switching device to send, to the control device using the control channel represented by the identifier of the control channel, a data packet that matches the match field. Hence, classification of a new flow is completed on a switching device side.

Abstract: A flow entry management method comprises receiving a management instruction for any flow entry, where the management instruction is initiated by a controller connected to a switch, wherein the switch may first determine, according to an obtained management authority level of the the controller relative to the switch and a security level of the any flow entry, when the management authority level of the any controller relative to the the switch is not lower than the security level of the a flow entry corresponding to the management instruction initiated by the any controller, that the controller has an authority to perform corresponding management on the any flow entry, and perform corresponding management on the any flow entry according to the management instruction initiated by the controller.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for managing a physical location of a network device. The method includes saving, in a first location table, received location information that is sent by a first network device, acquiring topology information of an entire network by communicating with a network controller, searching the topology information for a first top-of-rack switch that has a minimum network hop count to reach the first network device, adding the physical address of the first top-of-rack switch in the first location table to serve as a physical address of the first network device, and building an association between the physical address and the location information of the first network device. Therefore, a physical location of a network device can be conveniently and quickly managed, thereby greatly reducing a manual workload.

Abstract: A data packet forwarding method and a network device, where the method includes, receiving a data packet, obtaining a local physical address and a destination physical address of the data packet when the entry matching the data packet does not exist in the first match table, determining whether the local physical address is the same as the destination physical address, searching a second match table for an entry in which a physical address matches the destination physical address when the local physical address is different from the destination physical address, generating a layer 2 forwarding entry according to the entry matching the destination physical address, and forwarding the data packet according to the layer 2 forwarding entry. Therefore, processing efficiency of the new data packet and network performance are improved.

Abstract: A method executed by a control device in a software defined network where, according to the method, after establishing a control channel with a switching device, the control device obtains an identifier of the control channel. Then, the control device generates a flow entry, where the flow entry includes a match field and the identifier of the control channel. Further, the control device sends the flow entry to the switching device, where the flow entry is used to instruct the switching device to send, to the control device using the control channel represented by the identifier of the control channel, a data packet that matches the match field. Hence, classification of a new flow is completed on a switching device side.

Abstract: A method executed by a control device in a software defined network is disclosed. According to the method, after establishing a control channel with a switching device, the control device obtains an identifier of the control channel. Then, the control device generates a flow entry, where the flow entry includes a match field and the identifier of the control channel. Further, the control device sends the flow entry to the switching device, where the flow entry is used to instruct the switching device to send, to the control device using the control channel represented by the identifier of the control channel, a data packet that matches the match field. Hence, classification of a new flow is completed on a switching device side.

Abstract: A path switching method and a device, including determining, by a controller, an active path and at least one standby path of a data flow, and delivering a flow table to a standby path switch such that after the data flow is switched from the active path to the standby path, the standby path switch forwards the data flow according to the flow table, and delivering, by the controller, a path group table to each failover switch, where the path group table includes an identifier of the active path and standby port information such that when detecting, according to the identifier of the active path, that the active path encounters a failure, each failover switch performs path switching according to the standby port information.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a switch mode switching method, a device, and a system, so that routing and switching information in a hardware forwarding entry in the conventional switching mode is represented in a form of OpenFlow flow table. The method includes: receiving, by a switch, a mode switch request message that is sent by a controller and that is used to request the switch to switch from a conventional switching mode to an OpenFlow switching mode; freezing, by the switch, all routing and switching information tables of the switch in the conventional switching mode, and generating, according to routing and switching information in each routing and switching information table, an OpenFlow flow table corresponding to the routing and switching information table; and switching, by the switch, to the OpenFlow switching mode, and sending a mode switch response message to the controller.

Abstract: An operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) packet processing method, a network device, and a network system are provided. The method includes receiving a first Internet Protocol (IP) packet, where the first IP packet includes an OAM packet, an IP packet header of the OAM packet includes a first source device identifier (ID) and a first sink device ID, and returning a second IP packet to reply to the OAM packet, where the second IP packet includes an OAM reply packet, an IP packet header of the OAM reply packet includes a second source device ID, a second sink device ID, and a second packet type, the second source device ID is an ID of a local network device, and the second sink device ID is the same as the first source device ID. An IP packet header may be used to carry OAM information, which improves a fault detection capability in an OAM method.

Abstract: A data packet forwarding method and a network device, where the method includes, receiving a data packet, obtaining a local physical address and a destination physical address of the data packet when the entry matching the data packet does not exist in the first match table, determining whether the local physical address is the same as the destination physical address, searching a second match table for an entry in which a physical address matches the destination physical address when the local physical address is different from the destination physical address, generating a layer 2 forwarding entry according to the entry matching the destination physical address, and forwarding the data packet according to the layer 2 forwarding entry. Therefore, processing efficiency of the new data packet and network performance are improved.

Abstract: A method executed by a control device in a software defined network is disclosed. According to the method, after establishing a control channel with a switching device, the control device obtains an identifier of the control channel. Then, the control device generates a flow entry, where the flow entry includes a match field and the identifier of the control channel. Further, the control device sends the flow entry to the switching device, where the flow entry is used to instruct the switching device to send, to the control device using the control channel represented by the identifier of the control channel, a data packet that matches the match field. Hence, classification of a new flow is completed on a switching device side.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a switch mode switching method, a device, and a system, so that routing and switching information in a hardware forwarding entry in the conventional switching mode is represented in a form of OpenFlow flow table. The method includes: receiving, by a switch, a mode switch request message that is sent by a controller and that is used to request the switch to switch from a conventional switching mode to an OpenFlow switching mode; freezing, by the switch, all routing and switching information tables of the switch in the conventional switching mode, and generating, according to routing and switching information in each routing and switching information table, an OpenFlow flow table corresponding to the routing and switching information table; and switching, by the switch, to the OpenFlow switching mode, and sending a mode switch response message to the controller.

Abstract: A path switching method and a device, including determining, by a controller, an active path and at least one standby path of a data flow, and delivering a flow table to a standby path switch such that after the data flow is switched from the active path to the standby path, the standby path switch forwards the data flow according to the flow table, and delivering, by the controller, a path group table to each failover switch, where the path group table includes an identifier of the active path and standby port information such that when detecting, according to the identifier of the active path, that the active path encounters a failure, each failover switch performs path switching according to the standby port information.

Abstract: A flow entry management method comprises receiving a management instruction for any flow entry, where the management instruction is initiated by a controller connected to a switch, wherein the switch may first determine, according to an obtained management authority level of the the controller relative to the switch and a security level of the any flow entry, when the management authority level of the any controller relative to the the switch is not lower than the security level of the a flow entry corresponding to the management instruction initiated by the any controller, that the controller has an authority to perform corresponding management on the any flow entry, and perform corresponding management on the any flow entry according to the management instruction initiated by the controller.

Abstract: An operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) packet processing method, a network device, and a network system are provided. The method includes receiving a first Internet Protocol (IP) packet, where the first IP packet includes an OAM packet, an IP packet header of the OAM packet includes a first source device identifier (ID) and a first sink device ID, and returning a second IP packet to reply to the OAM packet, where the second IP packet includes an OAM reply packet, an IP packet header of the OAM reply packet includes a second source device ID, a second sink device ID, and a second packet type, the second source device ID is an ID of a local network device, and the second sink device ID is the same as the first source device ID. An IP packet header may be used to carry OAM information, which improves a fault detection capability in an OAM method.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for managing a physical location of a network device. The method includes saving, in a first location table, received location information that is sent by a first network device, acquiring topology information of an entire network by communicating with a network controller, searching the topology information for a first top-of-rack switch that has a minimum network hop count to reach the first network device, adding the physical address of the first top-of-rack switch in the first location table to serve as a physical address of the first network device, and building an association between the physical address and the location information of the first network device. Therefore, a physical location of a network device can be conveniently and quickly managed, thereby greatly reducing a manual workload.