Sf proxy performance in sdn networks

A method in a software defined networking (SDN) system, wherein the SDN system includes a service function chain (SFC) proxy, a switch, and a controller managing the switch, the method comprising:

• providing, by the SFC proxy, a translation rule for an SFC encapsulation to the controller;
• responsive to obtaining the translation rule for the SFC encapsulation provided by the SFC proxy, transmitting, by the controller, one or more instructions to the switch to program the switch to translate packets belonging to a flow associated with the SFC encapsulation according to the translation rule for the SFC encapsulation and to forward the packets belonging to the flow associated with the SFC encapsulation to a service function (SF) in a manner that causes the packets belonging to the flow associated with the SFC encapsulation to bypass the SFC proxy;
• transmitting, by the controller, an indication to the SFC proxy that the packets belonging to the flow associated with the SFC encapsulation are to bypass the SFC proxy;
• and
• responsive to receiving the indication that the packets belonging to the flow associated with the SFC encapsulation are to bypass the SFC proxy, disabling, by the SFC proxy, timeout processing for the translation rule for the SFC encapsulation.