Packet Processing Method, Device and System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016285754-A1
Application number	US-201615173291-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 3, 2016
Priority date	May 21, 2012
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present application provides a packet processing method, device and system. A controller sends a first flow entry to a network device. The first flow entry comprises first importance information used for indicating importance of a first flow entry, where the first importance information is used by the network device to determine, according to a second importance information of a second flow entry in the flow table and the first importance information of the first flow entry, whether to add the first flow entry into a flow table of the network device when there is no idle flow entry resource in the flow table.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
sending, by a controller, a first flow entry to a network device, wherein the first flow entry comprises first importance information indicating importance of a first flow entry, wherein the first importance information is used by the network device to determine, according to a second importance information of a second flow entry in a flow table and the first importance information of the first flow entry, whether to add the first flow entry into the flow table of the network device when there is no idle flow entry resource in the flow table.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
generating, by the controller, the first flow entry, wherein the first flow entry comprises a first field carrying priority information and a second field carrying the first importance information.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving, by the controller, an error message indicating that there is no idle flow entry resource for adding the first flow entry in response to the second flow entry not existing in the flow table of the network device.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the controller, an error message indicating that there is no idle flow entry resource for adding the first flow entry in response to the second flow entry not existing in the flow table of the network device.

5 . A controller, comprising:
a transmitter, configured to send a first flow entry to a network device, wherein the first flow entry comprises first importance information indicating importance of a first flow entry, wherein the first importance information is used by the network device to determine, according to a second importance information of a second flow entry in a flow table and the first importance information of the first flow entry, whether to add the first flow entry into the flow table of the network device when there is no idle flow entry resource in the flow table.

6 . The controller, according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a processor, configured to generate the first flow entry, wherein the first flow entry comprises a first field carrying priority information and a second field carrying the first importance information.

7 . The controller, according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a receiver, configured to receive an error message which indicates that there is no idle flow entry resource for adding the first flow entry in response to the second flow entry not existing in the flow table of the network device.

8 . The controller, according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a receiver, configured to receive an error message indicating that there is no idle flow entry resource for adding the first flow entry in response to the second flow entry not existing in the flow table of the network device.

9 . A system, comprising:
a controller; and a network device; wherein the controller is configured to send a first flow entry to a network device, wherein the first flow entry comprises first importance information indicating importance of a first flow entry; wherein the first importance information is used by the network device to determine, according to a second importance information of a second flow entry in a flow table and the first importance information of the first flow entry, whether to add the first flow entry into the flow table of the network device when there is no idle flow entry resource in the flow table; wherein the network device is configured to receive the first flow entry from the controller, determine whether an idle resource for storing the first flow entry in the flow table exists, determine whether the second flow entry exists in the flow table in response to determining that no idle resource for storing the first flow entry in the flow table exists, and delete the second flow entry from the flow table and add the first flow entry to the flow table in response to determining that the second flow entry exists in the flow table; wherein the second flow entry comprises the second information for indicating importance of the second flow entry and the importance indicated by the second information is lower than the importance indicated by the first information.

10 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate the first flow entry, wherein the first flow entry comprises a first field carrying priority information and a second field carrying the first importance information.

11 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive an error message indicating that there is no idle flow entry resource for adding the first flow entry in response to the second flow entry not existing in the flow table of the network device.

12 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive an error message indicating that there is no idle flow entry resource for adding the first flow entry in response to the second flow entry not existing in the flow table of the network device.

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ding Wanfu
• Liu Enhui
• Lin Chengyong
• Li Fengkai

Classifications

• H04L45/021

  Ensuring consistency of routing table updates, e.g. by using epoch numbers · CPC title

• H04L45/38 Primary

  Flow based routing · CPC title