Scalable forwarding table with overflow address learning

A node comprising:

• a memory to store instructions;
• and
• a processor to execute the instructions to:
• receive, from a host device, a packet that is destined for a destination host device, the packet including a destination address associated with the destination host device;
• determine that the destination address is not known by the node;
• generate, based on determining that the destination address is not known by the node, one or more logical distances, associated with one or more nodes, based on the destination address and a respective address associated with each of the one or more nodes;
• determine respective capacity information for each of the one or more nodes;
• assign, based on the determined respective capacity information, a respective score to each of the one or more nodes,
• the respective score being based on a respective priority assigned to the one or more nodes,
• the respective priority being based on the determined respective capacity information;
• determine whether a first node, of the one or more nodes, stores the destination address based on a logical distance, of the one or more logical distances, associated with the first node and the respective score associated with the first node;
• and
• transmit the packet, to the destination host device and via the first node or a second node of the one or more nodes, based on whether the first node stores the destination address.

A node comprising:

• a memory to store instructions;
• and
• a processor to execute the instructions to:
• receive a packet from a host device,
• the packet including a source address associated with the host device;
• determine that the source address is not known by the node;
• generate, based on determining that the source address is not known by the node, one or more logical distances associated with one or more nodes of a plurality of nodes,
• the one or more logical distances being based on the source address and a respective address associated with each of the one or more nodes;
• determine respective capacity information for each of the one or more nodes;
• assign, based on the determined respective capacity information, a respective score to each of the one or more nodes,
• the respective score being based on a respective priority assigned to the one or more nodes,
• the respective priority being based on the determined respective capacity information;
• and
• transmit the source address to another node, of the one or more nodes, based on a logical distance, of the one or more logical distances, associated with the another node and the respective score associated with the another node,
• the processor, when transmitting the source address, being configured to at least one of:
• allow the another node to store the source address, or
• enable additional nodes, of the plurality of nodes, to obtain the source address from the another node.