Pre-built match-action tables

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016112317-A1
Application number	US-201414519007-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 20, 2014
Priority date	Oct 20, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method is implemented by a processor of a computing device for generating an output match action table (MAT) or output MAT template from an input MAT template. The input MAT template is transformed through successive updates of symbolic actions using policy rules into the output MAT or output MAT template. The method includes selecting a first MAT row from the input MAT template and selecting a first action field from the first MAT row. A check is made whether the first action field includes a first symbolic action. The first symbolic action is looked up to determine whether a first policy rule has been defined for the first symbolic action. A first action specified by the first policy rule is written into a corresponding action field of a corresponding MAT row in the output MAT template or the output MAT to replace the first symbolic action.

First claim

1 . A method implemented by a processor of a computing device for generating an output match action table or output match action table template from an input match action table template, where the input match action table template is transformed through successive updates of symbolic actions using policy rules into the output match action table or output match action table template, the method comprising:
selecting a first match action table row from the input match action table template; selecting a first action field from the first match action table row; checking whether the first action field includes a first symbolic action; looking up the first symbolic action to determine whether a first policy rule has been defined for the first symbolic action; and writing a first action into a corresponding action field of a corresponding match action table row in the output match action table template or the output match action table to replace the first symbolic action where the first action is specified by the first policy rule.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the output match action table template is further iteratively processed to further update the symbolic actions by replacing the symbolic actions using a second policy rule, the method comprising:
selecting a second match action table row from the output match action table template; selecting a second action field from the second match action table row; checking whether the second action field includes a second symbolic action; looking up the second symbolic action to determine whether the second policy rule in a second policy has been defined for the second symbolic action; and writing a second action into a corresponding action field of a corresponding match action table row in a further output match action table template or further output match action table to replace the second symbolic action where the second action is specified by the second policy rule.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a network device, the process further comprising the step of:
installing the output match action table to be executed by a forwarding engine.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a controller in a control plane of a software defined network, the process further comprising the step of:
sending the output match action table template or the output match action table to a network device implementing the data plane.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first policy rule is defined for the first symbolic action to generate the output match action table template or output match action table for a corresponding application, and wherein the first policy rule is a member of a policy that is one of a set of policies forming a hierarchical tree for differentiating the output match action table template or output match action table to a set of different applications.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first action is a symbolic action.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first action is an executable action.

8 . A network device implementing a method for generating an output match action table from an input match action table template, where the input match action table template is transformed through successive updates of symbolic actions using policy rules into the output match action table, the network device comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein a match action table configuration module and a forwarding engine; and a network processor coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the network processor configured to execute the match action table configuration module and the forwarding engine, the match action table configuration module configured to select a first match action table row from the input match action table template, to select a first action field from the first match action table row, to check whether the first action field includes a first symbolic action, to look up the first symbolic action to determine whether a first policy rule has been defined for the first symbolic action, and to write a first action into a corresponding action field of a corresponding match action table row in the output match action table to replace the first symbolic action where the first action is specified by the first policy rule; and the forwarding engine configured to forward protocol data units based on the output match action table generated from the input match action template.

9 . The network device of claim 8 , wherein the match action table configuration module is configured to install the output match action table to be utilized by the forwarding engine.

10 . The network device of claim 8 , wherein the first action is an executable action.

11 . The network device of claim 8 , wherein the first policy rule is defined for the first symbolic action to generate the output match action table for a corresponding application, and wherein the first policy rule is a member of a policy that is one of a set of policies forming a hierarchical tree for differentiating the output match action table to a set of different applications.

12 . A computing device implementing a plurality of virtual machines for implementing network function virtualization (NFV), wherein a virtual machine from the plurality of virtual machines is configured to execute a method for generating an output match action table or output match action table template from an input match action table template, where the input match action table template is transformed through successive updates of symbolic actions using policy rules into the output match action table or output match action table template, the computing device comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein a match action table configuration module; and a processor coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the processor configured to execute the virtual machine that implements the match action table configuration module, the match action table configuration module configured to select a first match action table row from the input match action table template, to select a first action field from the first match action table row, to check whether the first action field includes a first symbolic action, to look up the first symbolic action to determine whether a first policy rule has been defined for the first symbolic action, and to write a first action into a corresponding action field of a corresponding match action table row in the output match action table or output match action table template to replace the first symbolic action where the first action is specified by the first policy rule.

13 . The computing device of claim 12 , wherein the match action table configuration module is further configured to further update the symbolic actions by replacing the symbolic actions using a second policy rule, the match action table configuration module configured to select a second match action table row from the output match action table template, to select a second action field from the second match action table row, to check whether the second action field includes a second symbolic action, to look up the second symbolic action to determine whether the second policy rule in a second policy has been defined for the second symbolic action, and to write a second action into a corresponding action field of a corresponding match action table row in a further output match action table template or further output match action table to replace the second symbolic action with the second action specified by the second policy rule.

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Hood David

Classifications

• H04L49/25

  Routing or path finding in a switch fabric · CPC title

• H04L45/42

  Centralised routing · CPC title

• G06F2009/45595

  Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances · CPC title

• H04L41/5096

  wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications · CPC title

• H04L41/0895

  Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements · CPC title