Abstract: An example method is provided and includes configuring a service on a network element; associating a directly connected port with the service to create a port channel between the network element and a directly connected service appliance, the port channel comprising a plurality of member ports; performing an auto-discovery process for each of the member ports; and, upon successful completion of the performing, indicating on the network element that the service appliance is operational. In certain embodiments, the network element includes an intelligent service card manager module (“ISCM”) that forms part of a Remote Integrated Service Engine (“RISE”) element with a corresponding intelligent service card client module (“ISCC”) installed on the service appliance. The method may further include, upon unsuccessful completion of the auto-discovery process, repeating the auto-discovery process.

Abstract: An example method for zero touch configuration and synchronization of a service appliance in a network environment includes receiving, at an appliance port on a service appliance, an indication that a switch port on a switch changed from an inactive status to an active status, the appliance port being connected over a network to the switch port, starting a bootstrap protocol, including by receiving at the service appliance from the switch, a bootstrap message from a service executing in the switch, creating, by the service appliance, an empty port channel at the service appliance, adding, by the service appliance, the appliance port to the port channel, and associating, by the service appliance, the service to the port channel in a cache.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes several key features of an agent deployable on a service appliance: agent architecture/design, transport and channel abstractions of the agent, new message definition components, channel switching (e.g., platform independent processing), Channel state machine, platform dependent hooks (e.g., memory, timers), Service key data store, and Secure channel infrastructure. Many of these features alleviate the vendor of the service appliance from having to provide the features. The features and standardization thereof enable the system to be more robust (and increases code quality). Speed of integration is decreased while the risk of integration issues is also decreased. Updates to the agent can be deployed in a controlled and efficient manner. Furthermore, the agent can ensure security between a switch and the agent.

Abstract: In an example, there is disclosed a network apparatus for providing native load balancing within a switch, including: a first network interface operable to communicatively couple to a first network; a plurality of second network interfaces operable to communicatively couple to a second network; one or more logic elements comprising a switching engine operable for providing network switching; a content-addressable memory (CAM); and one or more logic elements providing a load balancing engine operable for: receiving incoming network traffic via the first network; selecting the incoming network traffic based at least in part on a selection factor, and load balancing selected traffic to a first egress interface based at least in part on a load balancing factor other than an IP address.

Abstract: An example method is provided and includes configuring a service on a network element; associating a directly connected port with the service to create a port channel between the network element and a directly connected service appliance, the port channel comprising a plurality of member ports; performing an auto-discovery process for each of the member ports; and, upon successful completion of the performing, indicating on the network element that the service appliance is operational. In certain embodiments, the network element includes an intelligent service card manager module (“ISCM”) that forms part of a Remote Integrated Service Engine (“RISE”) element with a corresponding intelligent service card client module (“ISCC”) installed on the service appliance. The method may further include, upon unsuccessful completion of the auto-discovery process, repeating the auto-discovery process.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure enable monitoring network traffic on multiple Virtual Device Context (VDC) elements of a switch using a single NAM module. To that end, if a monitored network element supports contexts (i.e. VDC elements), a NAM module could be configured to seamlessly drive the move of the data port interfaces (at the managed device) from one context to the other. After the move of the data ports that support SPAN destination traffic flow to the target VDC is complete, these SPAN destination ports may be configured to be able to receive SPAN data traffic.

Abstract: A computing apparatus for providing an integrated service engine on a network switch, including: one or more logic elements comprising a protocol engine operable for providing a state machine, wherein states of the state machine include: an add-in-progress state operable for receiving an automated policy-based routing (APBR) add transaction, and to set an add-in-progress flag; an add-complete state operable for receiving an APBR add-complete transaction and to clear the add-in-progress flag; a delete-in-progress state operable to receive an APBR delete transaction and to set a delete-in-progress flag; and a delete-complete state operable to receive an APBR delete-complete transaction and to clear the delete-in-progress flag.

Abstract: In an example, there is disclosed a computing apparatus for providing an integrated service engine on a network switch, including: one or more logic elements including a protocol engine operable for providing routing policies, including: providing an ADD command, comprising a first ordinal list of operations; and providing a DELETE command, comprising a second ordinal list of operations, wherein the second ordinal list of operations is the ordinal inverse of the first ordinal list of operations.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes transmitting from an appliance connected to a first virtual device context (“VDC”) instantiated on a network device a request for statistics associated with selected ones of a plurality of VDCs implemented on the network device, wherein the plurality of VDCs includes the first VDC and wherein the appliance is connected to the first VDC via a management link; and receiving at the appliance the requested statistics associated with the plurality of VDCs. The method may further comprise receiving at the appliance a configuration message, wherein the configuration message identifies at least one of the selected ones of the plurality of VDCs for which statistics are to be provided, at least one type of statistic to be provided for the selected ones of the VDCs, and a polling interval at which statistics are to be collected from the selected VDCs.

Abstract: In an example, there is disclosed a computing apparatus for providing an integrated service engine on a service appliance requiring switching or routing services, including one or more logic elements providing a service appliance engine operable for performing a service appliance function; and one or more logic elements providing a protocol engine operable for: creating a route required by the service appliance; and sending an integrated service engine message (remote route programmability and distribution (RRPD) to an upstream network member comprising instructions to realize the route on the upstream network member. There is also disclosed a method of performing the foregoing operations, and one or more computer-readable mediums having stored thereon instructions for realizing the operations.

Abstract: An example method is provided and includes configuring a service on a network element; associating a directly connected port with the service to create a port channel between the network element and a directly connected service appliance, the port channel comprising a plurality of member ports; performing an auto-discovery process for each of the member ports; and, upon successful completion of the performing, indicating on the network element that the service appliance is operational. In certain embodiments, the network element includes an intelligent service card manager module (“ISCM”) that forms part of a Remote Integrated Service Engine (“RISE”) element with a corresponding intelligent service card client module (“ISCC”) installed on the service appliance. The method may further include, upon unsuccessful completion of the auto-discovery process, repeating the auto-discovery process.

Abstract: In an example, there is disclosed a computing apparatus for providing load-balanced switching, including a switching network; one or more logic elements operable for providing network switching or routing; and one or more logic elements providing a load balancing engine operable for: load balancing at least some incoming network traffic; receiving an exclude list identifying a network node excluded from load balancing; identifying a network packet directed to the network node excluded from load balancing; and directing the network packet to the network.

Abstract: In an example, there is disclosed a computing apparatus for providing an integrated service engine on a service appliance, including one or more logic elements providing a service appliance engine operable for performing a service appliance function; and one or more logic elements providing a protocol engine operable for: detecting that a plurality of upstream network switches are connected to the service appliance in a virtual port channel configuration; and provisioning virtual port channel (VPC) services comprising replicating a routing policy to each of the plurality of upstream network switches. There is also disclosed one or more computer-readable mediums having stored thereon instructions for providing the foregoing, and a computer-implemented method of performing the foregoing operations.

Abstract: In one embodiment a forwarding policy from a first network node coupled to a network element is received. The forwarding policy specifies an address of a second network node coupled to the network element. A plurality of ports of the network element are identified, wherein the second network node is accessible from the network element through each of the plurality of ports. The forwarding policy is applied to the plurality of ports of the network element. Network traffic received at a port of the plurality of ports from the second network node is forwarded to the first network node.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes several key features of an agent deployable on a service appliance: agent architecture/design, transport and channel abstractions of the agent, new message definition components, channel switching (e.g., platform independent processing), Channel state machine, platform dependent hooks (e.g., memory, timers), Service key data store, and Secure channel infrastructure. Many of these features alleviate the vendor of the service appliance from having to provide the features. The features and standardization thereof enable the system to be more robust (and increases code quality). Speed of integration is decreased while the risk of integration issues is also decreased. Updates to the agent can be deployed in a controlled and efficient manner. Furthermore, the agent can ensure security between a switch and the agent.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for enabling network appliance monitoring is disclosed. The method includes establishing a remote execution channel for executing commands on a network element such as e.g. a switch. The method also includes using the remote execution channel to initiate execution of one or more commands on the network element. The method further includes receiving at least part of an output resulting from the execution of the one or more commands, wherein the received at least part of the output enables performing the network appliance monitoring.

Abstract: A method, service appliance, and non-transitory media for establishing connections to virtual device contexts (VDCs) whereby a communication channel for each of the VDCs is identified based on connection data corresponding to each of the VDCs. A service appliance receives, from each of one or more VDCs located on a switch, a message containing connection data that identifies at least one communication channel between the service appliance and a corresponding one of the one or more VDCs from which the message was received. The connection data is stored in a memory accessible to the service appliance. The service appliance identifies a communication channel for each of a plurality of VDCs based on the connection data and an identifier corresponding to each of the plurality of VDCs. The service appliance establishes a connection to each of the plurality of VDCs using the communication channel for each of the plurality of VDCs.

Abstract: In one embodiment a forwarding policy from a first network node coupled to a network element is received. The forwarding policy specifies an address of a second network node coupled to the network element. A plurality of ports of the network element are identified, wherein the second network node is accessible from the network element through each of the plurality of ports. The forwarding policy is applied to the plurality of ports of the network element. Network traffic received at a port of the plurality of ports from the second network node is forwarded to the first network node.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes transmitting from an appliance connected to a first virtual device context (“VDC”) instantiated on a network device a request for statistics associated with selected ones of a plurality of VDCs implemented on the network device, wherein the plurality of VDCs includes the first VDC and wherein the appliance is connected to the first VDC via a management link; and receiving at the appliance the requested statistics associated with the plurality of VDCs. The method may further comprise receiving at the appliance a configuration message, wherein the configuration message identifies at least one of the selected ones of the plurality of VDCs for which statistics are to be provided, at least one type of statistic to be provided for the selected ones of the VDCs, and a polling interval at which statistics are to be collected from the selected VDCs.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure enable monitoring network traffic on multiple Virtual Device Context (VDC) elements of a switch using a single NAM module. To that end, if a monitored network element supports contexts (i.e. VDC elements), a NAM module could be configured to seamlessly drive the move of the data port interfaces (at the managed device) from one context to the other. After the move of the data ports that support SPAN destination traffic flow to the target VDC is complete, these SPAN destination ports may be configured to be able to receive SPAN data traffic.