Multi-Level Flow Table Search Method and Apparatus

An apparatus, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer-readable storage medium storing a program to be executed by the processor, the program including instructions for:
• extracting matching information of a data packet in response to receiving the data packet;
• selecting a keyword from the matching information of the data packet according to flow-table match-field configuration information;
• searching for a match field of each-level flow table in a multi-level flow table starting from a first-level flow table in the multi-level flow table using the keyword as a search keyword, and matching the search keyword with the match field;
• and
• in response to matching a match field of a current-level flow table, executing a corresponding instruction, and in response to the current-level flow table not being a last-level flow table, or in response to an instruction for executing an action, executing a corresponding action.

A method, comprising:

• extracting matching information of a data packet in response to receiving the data packet;
• selecting a keyword from the matching information of the data packet according to flow-table match-field configuration information;
• searching for a match field of each-level flow table in a multi-level flow table starting from a first-level flow table in the multi-level flow table using the keyword as a search keyword, and matching the search keyword with the match field;
• and
• in response to matching a match field of a current-level flow table, executing a corresponding instruction, and in response to an instruction for executing an action, executing a corresponding action.