Pre-built match-action tables

A network device implementing a method for generating an output match action table from an input match action table template, where the input match action table template is transformed through successive updates of symbolic actions using policy rules into the output match action table, the network device comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein a match action table configuration module and a forwarding engine;
• and
• a network processor coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the network processor configured to execute the match action table configuration module and the forwarding engine, the match action table configuration module configured to select a first match action table row from the input match action table template, to select a first action field from the first match action table row, to check whether the first action field includes a first symbolic action, to look up the first symbolic action to determine whether a first policy rule has been defined for the first symbolic action, and to write a first action into a corresponding action field of a corresponding match action table row in the output match action table to replace the first symbolic action where the first action is specified by the first policy rule;
• and the forwarding engine configured to forward protocol data units based on the output match action table generated from the input match action template.

A computing device implementing a plurality of virtual machines for implementing network function virtualization (NFV), wherein a virtual machine from the plurality of virtual machines is configured to execute a method for generating an output match action table or output match action table template from an input match action table template, where the input match action table template is transformed through successive updates of symbolic actions using policy rules into the output match action table or output match action table template, the computing device comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein a match action table configuration module;
• and
• a processor coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the processor configured to execute the virtual machine that implements the match action table configuration module, the match action table configuration module configured to select a first match action table row from the input match action table template, to select a first action field from the first match action table row, to check whether the first action field includes a first symbolic action, to look up the first symbolic action to determine whether a first policy rule has been defined for the first symbolic action, and to write a first action into a corresponding action field of a corresponding match action table row in the output match action table or output match action table template to replace the first symbolic action where the first action is specified by the first policy rule.

A control plane device configured to implement at least one centralized control plane for a software defined network (SDN), the centralized control plane configured to execute a method for generating an output match action table or output match action table template from an input match action table template, where the input match action table template is transformed through successive updates of symbolic actions using policy rules into the output match action table or output match action table template, the control plane device comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein a match action table configuration module;
• and
• a processor coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the processor configured to execute the match action table configuration module, the match action table configuration module configured to select a first match action table row from the input match action table template, to select a first action field from the first match action table row, to check whether the first action field includes a first symbolic action, to look up the first symbolic action to determine whether a first policy rule has been defined for the first symbolic action, and to write a first action into a corresponding action field of a corresponding match action table row in the output match action table or output match action table template to replace the first symbolic action where the first action is specified by the first policy rule.