Adding device-wide capabilities and parameters to split-architecture devices

A network element implementing a process for determining and configuring of capabilities of network element components, the network element components including a set of control elements where the set of control elements determines capabilities of each of a set of forwarding elements, the network element comprising:

• a memory to store a forwarding element capability model, the forwarding element capability module to store capabilities of each forwarding element in the set of forwarding elements;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory, the processor to execute a forwarding element capability management module, the forwarding element capability management module to initiate communication with a forwarding element in the set of forwarding elements, to request the forwarding element to provide a set of logical function block identifiers of supported logical function blocks for the forwarding element, to receive the set of logical function block identifiers from the forwarding element in response to the request, to match the set of logical function block identifiers with known forwarding element capabilities to determine capabilities of the forwarding element, and to update a forwarding element capability model with the capabilities of the forwarding element.