Method and apparatus for name resolution in software defined networking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016197831-A1
Application number	US-201414911600-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 8, 2014
Priority date	Aug 16, 2013
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

This disclosure relates enhancements to a SDN system including the controller, southbound interface, and OpenFlow devices, to enable hash-routing, and describes SDN applications making use of this feature. More specifically, the application relates to Software Defined Networking (e.g., OpenFlow) enhancements to facilitate the deployment and usage of Distributed Hash Tables, for example as part of Information Centric Networking (ICN).

First claim

1 - 29 . (canceled)

30 . A method implemented in a Software Defined Networking (SDN) switch/router comprising:
maintaining a flow table for routing data packets in a SDN network; receiving from an SDN controller a flow table modification message defining a change to the flow table maintained at the switch/router, wherein the flow entry modification message further includes at least one of (1) an information element (IE) specifying a method for extracting hash function inputs from the data packets, (2) an IE specifying how a hash function is calculated from the hash function inputs, and (3) an IE specifying a range of hash function outputs to which the flow entry applies; and updating the flow table using the IEs in the flow entry modification message.

31 . The method of claim 30 wherein the change defined in the flow table modification message comprises one of an additional flow entry in the flow table, a modification to a flow entry in the flow table, and a deletion of a flow entry in the flow table.

32 . The method of claim 30 wherein the flow table modification message further comprises an IE disclosing a number of hash routing descriptors contained in the flow table modification message.

33 . The method of claim 32 wherein the flow table includes flow entries including a plurality of match descriptors for matching fields in the data packets, said match descriptors including at least a hash routing match descriptor disclosing (1) a number of hash routing flows that the switch/router is capable of processing and (2) a hash routing match descriptor data structure.

34 . The method of claim 33 wherein the hash routing match descriptor data structure includes (1) a description of a hash function, (2) a description of an input method for the hash function, and (3) a range value disclosing a range of entries in a Distributed Hash Table (DHT) to which the corresponding flow entry applies.

35 . The method of claim 34 further comprising:
receiving a data packet;
comparing at least one matching field in the data packet with at least one of the match descriptors in a flow entry in the DHT to determine if the at least one matching field in the data packet matches at least one matching descriptor in the flow entry; and
if the at least one matching field of the data packet matches the at least one field of the flow entry, using the description of the input method of the flow entry to extract a set of hash input fields from the data message and select a particular hash function.

36 . The method of claim 35 further comprising:
calculating a hash value using the particular hash function and set of hash input values;
determining if the hash value is within the range value of the flow entry; and
if the hash value is within the range value of the flow entry, executing the instruction associated with the flow entry.

37 . The method of claim 35 further comprising:
determining if a hash value for the particular hash function and set of hash input fields is stored in a cache; and
if a hash value for the particular hash function and set of hash input fields is stored in a cache;
retrieving the cached hash value;
determining if the cached hash value is within the range value of the flow entry; and
if the hash value is within the range value of the flow entry, executing instructions associated with the flow entry.

38 . The method of claim 36 further comprising:
executing an action set associated with the instructions.

39 . The method of claim 36 further comprising:
determining if the action set includes an entry point into another flow table; and
if the action set includes an entry point into another flow table, processing the data packet through the another flow table.

40 . A method implemented in a Software Defined Networking (SDN) controller for configuring an SDN network for Hash Routing Control (HRC), the method comprising:
transmitting a features request message to a SDN switch/router requesting information disclosing hash routing control (HRC) features of the switch/router; and receiving in response to the features request a features reply message, the features reply message including an HRC information element (IE) disclosing the HRC capabilities of the switch/router.

41 . The method of claim 40 wherein the features reply message discloses that the switch/router is HRC capable.

42 . The method of claim 40 further comprising:
transmitting a flow table modification message to the switch/router disclosing a flow entry in a hash table maintained at the switch/router.

43 . The method of claim 42 wherein the flow entry modification message includes at least one of (1) an IE disclosing the number of hash routing descriptions entries included in the flow entry modification message, (2) an IE specifying a method for extracting hash function inputs from a data packet, (3) an IE specifying how a hash function is calculated from the hash function inputs, and (4) an IE specifying a range of hash function outputs to which the flow entry applies.

44 . A method implemented in a Software Defined Networking (SDN) switch/router comprising:
maintaining a first flow table for routing data packets in a SDN network; maintaining a second flow table for routing the data packets according to a Hash Routing control (HRC); receiving from an SDN controller a flow table modification message defining a change to one of the first and second flow tables, the flow table modification message identifying a hash function and identifying a condition applicable to a hash value calculated using the hash function; and updating the first or second flow table according to the flow entry modification message.

45 . The method of claim 44 wherein the condition applicable to the hash value comprises a range of hash values.

46 . The method of claim 44 wherein the first flow table includes flow entries including a plurality of match descriptors for matching fields in the data packets and wherein the flow table modification message is for the first flow table and includes a first apply action instruction to execute a processing of the data packets received at the switch/router through the hash function using certain information elements from the data packets as inputs and forwarding to the second flow table on a condition that certain of the match descriptors match certain matching fields in the data packets.

47 . The method of claim 46 wherein the second table includes flow entries, each including a range match descriptor and a second apply action, the range match descriptor comprising a range of values, and the second apply action comprising an action to be performed on a condition that the hash value calculated using the hash function is within the range specified by the range match descriptor.

48 . The method of claim 46 wherein the first apply action instructions include:
a function identifier identifying the hash function; and
a table identifier identifying the second table.

49 . The method of claim 46 wherein the first apply action instruction further sets the result of the hash function as metadata.

50 . The method of claim 49 wherein the first apply action instruction further includes:
a metadata mask identifying a part of a metadata field into which the result of the function is placed.

51 - 52 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Interdigital Patent Holdings

Inventors

• De Foy Xavier
• Liu Hang
• Jin Hao

Classifications

• H04L45/566

  Routing instructions carried by the data packet, e.g. active networks · CPC title

• H04L45/7453 Primary

  using hashing · CPC title

• H04L67/1065

  Discovery involving distributed pre-established resource-based relationships among peers, e.g. based on distributed hash tables [DHT]  (pre-configuration of logical or physical connections H04L67/1053) · CPC title