Metadata-driven switch network control

A switch system, comprising:

• a single metadata-driven switch and a plurality of switches, wherein the plurality of switches comprise one or more foreign switches or one or more remote metadata-driven switches;
• a plurality of off load engines and processors embedded in the single metadata-driven switch;
• a plurality of storage devices communicatively coupled to the plurality of off load engines and processors;
• a plurality of programs, wherein the plurality of programs are stored in the plurality of storage devices and executable by the plurality of off load engines or processors, with at least one of the plurality of programs comprising:
• instructions to run a schedule loop using a scheduler, wherein the schedule loop runs through an action list of methods;
• instructions to execute one or more action methods from the action list;
• instructions to pass a metadata command down a metadata command hierarchy in response to the action method executed;
• and
• instructions to reconfigure a switch network in response to the metadata command, wherein the switch network comprises a switch configuration of the single metadata-driven switch, or a switch configuration of the single metadata-driven switch communicatively coupled to one or more foreign switches or one or more remote metadata-driven switches.