Integrated heterogeneous software-defined network
AssigneeBrocade Communications Systems, Inc.
InventorsEswara S. P. Chinthalapati, Nikunj Vaidya
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch in a software-defined network. The switch includes at least one port, a flow management module, and forwarding circuitry. The port is capable of receiving a frame belonging to a software-defined data flow and a frame belonging to a regular data flow. The flow management module logically partitions the port for the frame belonging to the software-defined data flow from the frame belonging to the regular data flow. The forwarding circuitry forwards the frame belonging to the software-defined data flow based on a flow definition in a local flow table. The flow definition indicates how the software-defined data flow is processed in a software-defined network.
Claims20
A switch, comprising:
- a port partitioned into a first partition for a software-defined data flow and a second partition for a regular data flow;
- flow management circuitry configured to:
- allocate a received frame to the first partition in response to the frame belonging to the software-defined data flow;
- and
- allocate the frame to the second partition in response to the frame belonging to the regular data flow;
- and
- forwarding circuitry configured to determine, in response to the frame belonging to the software-defined flow, an output port for the frame based on a flow definition in a local flow table.
A method, comprising:
- partitioning a port of a switch into a first partition for a software-defined data flow and a second partition for a regular data flow;
- allocating a received frame to the first partition in response to the frame belonging to the software-defined data flow;
- allocating the frame to the second partition in response to the frame belonging to the regular data flow;
- and
- determining, in response to the frame belonging to the software-defined flow, an output port for the frame based on a flow definition in a local flow table.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.