Software defined network and method for operating the same

Abstract

A method operates a software defined network that has a number of data plane elements having flow table entries that define forwarding functions of the data plane elements; and at least one control plane element for programming the forwarding functions of the data plane elements by instructing the data plane elements to install appropriate flow table entries. The method includes: obtaining, by the data plane elements, flow table entry installation time information and making this information available directly or indirectly to the at least one control plane element; and using, by the at least one control plane element, the flow table entry installation time information for deciding on which of the data plane elements to install a particular flow table entry and/or when to transmit an instruction to one or more of the data plane elements to install a particular flow table entry.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.