Reduced outage time with improved download to hardware tables based on different entries

A method in a network device, the method comprising:

• updating one or more data tables in a control plane concurrently with processing of network traffic in a data plane of the network device;
• identifying chunks of entries in the updated data tables that contain one or more changed entries that differ from corresponding entries in corresponding data tables in the data plane;
• and
• updating the corresponding data tables in the data plane, including:
• disabling the processing of network traffic in the data plane;
• downloading only the identified chunks of entries in the updated data tables to corresponding entries in the one or more corresponding data tables in the data plane;
• and
• re-enabling the processing of network traffic in the data plane.

A network device comprising:

• one or more computer processors;
• and
• a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for controlling the one or more computer processors to:
• update at least one lookup table stored in a control plane of the network device;
• identify consecutive runs of entries in the updated lookup table that comprise at least one entry of a first type;
• and
• download the identified consecutive runs of entries in the updated lookup table to corresponding entries in a corresponding lookup table in a data plane of the network device,
• wherein entries of a second type in the updated lookup table that are not in any of the consecutive runs of entries are not downloaded.