Method and apparatus for creating network devices

An apparatus for creating network devices, the apparatus comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that when executed by the processor cause the following to be performed:

• create multiple virtual hardware systems of control planes on a hardware system of a control plane of a physical network device;
• create multiple virtual hardware systems of forwarding planes on a hardware system of a forwarding plane of the physical network device;
• load multiple software systems of the control planes to the multiple virtual hardware systems of the control planes, respectively, wherein the multiple virtual hardware systems of the control planes and the multiple software systems of the control planes are in one-to-one correspondence;
• load multiple software systems of the forwarding planes to the multiple virtual hardware systems of the forwarding planes, respectively, wherein the multiple virtual hardware systems of the forwarding planes and the multiple software systems of the forwarding planes are in one-to-one correspondence;
• create multiple communication channels, wherein the multiple communication channels are communication channels between the multiple software systems of the control planes and the multiple software systems of the forwarding planes, the multiple communication channels and the multiple software systems of the control planes are in one-to-one correspondence, and the multiple communication channels and the multiple software systems of the forwarding planes are in one-to-one correspondence;
• create multiple virtual hardware systems of service planes on a hardware system of a service plane of the physical network device;
• load multiple software systems of the service planes to the multiple virtual hardware systems of the service planes, respectively, wherein the multiple virtual hardware systems of the service planes and the multiple software systems of the service planes are in one-to-one correspondence and a service corresponding to a software system of the service planes is a firewall service, a network address translation service or a video service;
• create multiple first communication channels, wherein the multiple first communication channels are communication channels between the multiple software systems of the control planes and the multiple software systems of the service planes, the multiple first communication channels and the multiple software systems of the control planes are in one-to-one correspondence, and the multiple first communication channels and the multiple software systems of the service planes are in one-to-one correspondence;
• and
• create multiple second communication channels, wherein the multiple second communication channels are communication channels between the multiple software systems of the forwarding planes and the multiple software systems of the service planes, the multiple second communication channels and the multiple software systems of the forwarding planes are in one-to-one correspondence, and the multiple second communication channels and the multiple software systems of the service planes are in one-to-one correspondence.