Non-blocking distributed resource allocation and resolution across forwarding agents using dependency propagation

A network device comprising:

• a feature agent of the network device configured to
• identify content required for a first entry to a first table, the content including at least a first resource value of a resource external to the feature agent,
• retrieve from a resource table the first resource value and one or more corresponding dependency criteria,
• construct the first entry to the first table, the first entry to the first table containing the resource value and the one or more corresponding dependency criteria, and
• write the first entry to the first table;
• a hardware agent configured to
• identify the resource value the and one or more corresponding dependency criteria in the first entry to the first table,
• determine whether the dependency criteria have been satisfied, and
• in response to determining that the dependency criteria have been satisfied, writing a second entry to a second table, the second entry containing the resource value.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by one or more processors to perform:

• entering, by a feature agent of a network device, a resource request for a resource in a resource table, wherein each entry in the resource table includes a dependency constraint that encapsulates validity criteria for utilizing the corresponding resource;
• receiving, from a server, a response to the resource request including the dependency constraint in the resource table;
• and
• writing, by the feature agent, a software table entry to a software table, the software table entry including the resource and the corresponding dependency constraint.