US 2019/0319870 A1 · PACKET PROCESSING RULE VERSIONING

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method for a managed forwarding element that processes packets through a set of packet processing tables by matching rules in the tables. The method receives an update that requires modification to at least one of the packet processing tables. Each rule in the packet processing tables is assigned a range of packet processing table versions in which the rule is valid for processing packets. The method modifies the packet processing tables according to the received update by at least one of (i) modifying the range of packet processing table versions in which an existing rule is valid to end after a current packet processing table version and (ii) adding a new rule with a range of valid packet processing table versions that begins with a next packet processing table version. The method increments the current version of the packet processing tables to commit the modifications.

Claims21

Dependent claims

1-24. (canceled)

For a managed forwarding element (MFE) that processes packets through a set of multi-stage packet processing tables by matching rules in the packet processing tables, a method for ensuring consistency in treatment of individual packets processed through the set of multi-stage packet processing tables even as the tables are modified, the method comprising:

receiving a packet for processing through the multi-stage packet processing tables;
identifying a current version number of the multi-stage packet processing tables to assign to the received packet, wherein the current version of the multi-stage packet processing tables is the version that will be used to process the received packet;
performing a lookup in a subsequent packet processing table in order to identify a highest priority matching rule with a version number range that includes the current version number assigned to the packet, wherein each rule entry in the packet processing tables comprises a version number range that specifies a range of version numbers for which the rule entry is valid;
and
when a matching rule is identified for the packet, performing a set of actions specified by the matching rule on the packet.

2 more elements

A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program which when executed by at least one processing unit implements a managed forwarding element (MFE) that processes packets through a set of multi-stage packet processing tables by matching rules in the packet processing tables, the program for ensuring consistency in treatment of individual packets processed through the set of multi-stage packet processing tables even as the tables are modified, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a packet for processing through the multi-stage packet processing tables;
identifying a current version number of the multi-stage packet processing tables to assign to the received packet, wherein the current version of the multi-stage packet processing tables is the version that will be used to process the received packet;
performing a lookup in a subsequent packet processing table in order to identify a highest priority matching rule with a version number range that includes the current version number assigned to the packet, wherein each rule entry in the packet processing tables comprises a version number range that specifies a range of version numbers for which the rule entry is valid;
and
when a matching rule is identified for the packet, performing a set of actions specified by the matching rule on the packet.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Packet processing rule versioning

Life of this patent

Packet processing rule versioning

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21