Robust message processing for a software-defined networking (sdn) controller cluster

A method for handling messages from one or more data-plane nodes (DPNs) to a plurality of controller nodes configured in a cluster, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a first controller node of the cluster, a message from a DPN;
• tagging the message with an incarnation identifier (IID) associated with the DPN;
• performing IID handling of the tagged message, the IID handling comprising:
• comparing a value of the IID of the tagged message with a value of a global IID associated with the DPN;
• if the value of the IID of the tagged message is less than the value of the global IID, discarding the tagged message;
• and
• if the value of the IID of the tagged message is not less than the value of the global IID, processing the tagged message.

A controller node configured, as one of a plurality of controller nodes configured in a cluster, to process connection requests from one or more data-plane nodes (DPNs), the controller node comprising:

• at least one processing unit;
• and
• at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing unit, configure the controller node to:
• receive a connection request associated with a data-plane node (DPN);
• determine whether a global incarnation identifier (IID) associated with the DPN exists;
• if it is determined that the global IID associated with the DPN exists, increment a value of the global IID associated with the DPN;
• if it is determined that a global IID associated with the DPN does not exist, associate the DPN with a global IID set with an initial value;
• and
• store the association between the DPN and the global IID with the one of the initial value and the incremented value.

A controller node configured, as one of a plurality of controller nodes configured in a cluster, to handle messages from one or more data-plane nodes (DPNs), the controller node comprising:

• at least one processing unit;
• and
• at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing unit, configure the controller node to:
• receive a message from a DPN;
• tag the message with an incarnation identifier (IID) associated with the DPN;
• perform IID handling of the tagged message, the IID handling comprising:
• comparing a value of the IID of the tagged message with a value of a global IID associated with the DPN;
• if the value of the IID of the tagged message is less than the value of the global IID, discarding the tagged message;
• and
• if the value of the IID of the tagged message is not less than the value of the global IID, processing the tagged message.