System and Method for Dataplane Extensibility in a Flow-based Switching Device

• Main Authors: NARAYANAN RAJESH, KOTHA SAIKRISHNA M, UPPALAPATI PADMAVATHI V, LIN GENG
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 14.08.2014

A network switching device includes a macroflow sub-plane that performs packet-based routing, a microflow routing module that performs flow-based routing, and a software defined network (SDN) agent. The microflow routing module includes a packet processing module and a virtual port, and is operable to determine that the packet processing module is to be utilized to process a flow, direct the flow to the packet processing module via the virtual port in response to determine that the packet processing module is to be utilized to process the flow, process the flow using the packet processing module, and direct the flow to a destination associated with the flow. The SDN agent sends a port status message to a SDN controller indicating that the microflow routing module includes the virtual port and that the virtual port is associated with the packet processing module.