Enhanced Flow Entry Table Cache Replacement in a Software-Defined Networking Switch
AssigneeFuturewei Technologies, Inc.
InventorsHong Zhang, Kalyan Das
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Abstract
In a network switch of a software-defined network (SDN) architecture, a method for improving cache replacement (CR) efficiency implemented therein, the method comprising maintaining a flow table comprising a plurality of flow entries, computing a replacement index (RI) value for each of the plurality of flow entries resulting in a plurality of RI values, wherein computing an RI value for a flow entry is at least partially based on latency sensitivity of a forwarding path specified by the flow entry, and generating, based on at least some of the computed RI values, an eviction list comprising a number of list entries, wherein each of the list entries points to one of at least a fraction of the flow entries.
Claims20
In a network switch of a software-defined network (SDN) architecture, a method for improving cache replacement (CR) efficiency implemented therein, the method comprising:
- maintaining a flow table comprising one or more flow entries;
- computing a replacement index (RI) value for each of the one or more flow entries resulting in one or more RI values, wherein computing an RI value for a flow entry is at least partially based on latency sensitivity of a forwarding path specified by the flow entry;
- and
- generating, based on at least some of the computed RI values, an eviction list comprising a number of list entries, wherein each of the list entries points to one of at least a fraction of the flow entries.
A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium such that when executed by a processor cause a switch to:
- maintain a cached flow table comprising a plurality of flow entries;
- compute a replacement index (RI) value for each of the plurality of flow entries resulting in a plurality of RI values, wherein computing an RI value for a flow entry is at least partially based on usage recency of the flow entry and usage frequency of the flow entry, wherein a value of the usage frequency is updatable with reuses of the flow entry;
- and
- generate, based on at least some of the computed RI values, an eviction list comprising a number of list entries, wherein each of the list entries points to one of a fraction of the flow entries.
A method implemented by a software-defined network (SDN) controller, the method comprising:
- receiving a packet from a switch, wherein the packet comprises a connection between a source and a destination;
- determining a forwarding path for the packet;
- and
- transmitting data comprising the forwarding path to the switch, wherein the data comprises latency sensitivity of the packet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.