Distribution of network traffic to software defined network based probes

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor of a server deployed in a communication network, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

• receiving network traffic from a demultiplexer via a first network interface card;
• placing portions of the network traffic into a plurality of hash buckets in a memory;
• processing a first portion of the portions of the network traffic in at least a first hash bucket of the plurality of hash buckets, wherein the server is configured with a maximum designated capacity to process at most the first portion of the portions of the network traffic in the at least the first hash bucket, wherein the maximum designated capacity is less than a physical capability of the server;
• and
• forwarding a second portion of the portions of the network traffic in at least a second hash bucket of the plurality of hash buckets to a switch via a second network interface card, wherein the second portion of the portions of the network traffic comprises an overflow of the network traffic that is in excess of the maximum designated capacity of the server, wherein the switch distributes the second portion of the portions of the network traffic to one of a plurality of overflow probes, wherein the plurality of overflow probes comprises a network function virtualization infrastructure for processing the second portion of the portions of the network traffic.

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a processor deployed in a communication network, network traffic from a demultiplexer via a first network interface card;
• placing, by the processor, portions of the network traffic into a plurality of hash buckets in a memory;
• processing, by the processor, a first portion of the portions of the network traffic in at least a first hash bucket of the plurality of hash buckets, wherein the processor is configured with a maximum designated capacity to process at most the first portion of the portions of the network traffic in the at least the first hash bucket, wherein the maximum designated capacity is less than a physical capability of the processor;
• and
• forwarding, by the processor, a second portion of the portions of the network traffic in at least a second hash bucket of the plurality of hash buckets to a switch via a second network interface card, wherein the second portion of the portions of the network traffic comprises an overflow of the network traffic that is in excess of the maximum designated capacity of the processor, wherein the switch distributes the second portion of the portions of the network traffic to one of a plurality of overflow probes, wherein the plurality of overflow probes comprises a network function virtualization infrastructure for processing the second portion of the portions of the network traffic.