Variable-based forwarding path construction for packet processing within a network device

A network device comprising:

• an interface card;
• a control unit comprising one or more processors;
• and
• an integrated circuit associated with the interface card, the integrated circuit comprising:
• a key engine;
• a packet processing template that defines a plurality of internal execution paths within the integrated circuit for processing a plurality of packet flows mapped to the packet processing template, each of the plurality of internal execution paths including a common service object and one or more distinct service objects respectively representing corresponding hardware of the integrated circuit and chained together as a series of next hop operations applied by the integrated circuit,
• wherein different values for a variable of the packet processing template determine, at least in part, the internal execution paths of the plurality of internal execution paths for processing different packet flows of the plurality of packet flows;
• and
• a first subscriber record for a first packet flow of the plurality of packet flows, wherein the first subscriber record includes a first variable value for the variable that identifies a first internal execution path of the plurality of internal execution paths,
• wherein the interface card receives a first packet associated the first packet flow, and
• wherein the key engine, in response to receiving the first packet and based at least in part on the first subscriber record, determines the first variable value of the first subscriber record for the first packet flow, and
• wherein the key engine, in response to determining the first variable value identifies the first internal execution path of the plurality of execution paths, processes the first packet using the first internal execution path of the plurality of internal execution paths.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing one or more programmable processors and an integrated circuit of a network device forward plane to:

• install, to the integrated circuit of a network device forwarding plane, a packet processing template that defines a plurality of internal execution paths within the integrated circuit for processing a plurality of packet flows mapped to the packet processing template, each of the plurality of internal execution paths including a common service object and one or more distinct service objects respectively representing corresponding hardware of the integrated circuit and chained together as a series of next hop operations applied by the integrated circuit,
• wherein different values for a variable of the packet processing template determine, at least in part, the internal execution paths of the plurality of internal execution paths for processing different packet flows of the plurality of packet flows;
• install, to the network device forwarding plane, a first subscriber record for a first packet flow of the plurality of packet flows, wherein the first subscriber record includes a first variable value for the variable that identifies a first internal execution path of the plurality of internal execution paths;
• in response to receiving a first packet associated with the first packet flow, determine, by the integrated circuit of the network device forwarding plane based at least in part on the first subscriber record, the first variable value of the first subscriber record for the first packet flow;
• and
• in response to determining the first variable value identifies the first internal execution path of the plurality of execution paths, process, by the integrated circuit of the network device forwarding plane, the first packet using the first internal execution path of the plurality of internal execution paths.