Method and equipment for configuring a software-defined network

A method for configuring a network element of a software-defined network, the network element maintaining at least one look-up table having first actions stored therein that are executed in conjunction with managing a first data frame, the method comprising:

• receiving, at the network element, one or more second data frames from a controller of the software-defined network, and determining that said one or more second data frames are different from said first data frame;
• upon determining said one or more second data frames, reading and storing, at the network element, from the one or more second data frames, a configuration program comprising one or more computer executable instructions defining at least one second action to be executed in conjunction with the managing of the first data frame, the one or more computer executable instructions being different from the first actions stored in the at least one look-up table,
• the control processor section storing the configuration program separate from the at least one look-up table;
• and
• updating the at least one look-up table to include an order to execute the stored configuration program in a manner such that the configuration program is associated with the first data frame;
• and
• configuring the network element to, responsive to receiving a received first data frame, query the at least one look-up table and, upon a match the updated look-up table containing the order to execute the configuration program, executing the at least one second action defined by the configuration program.

A software-defined network, comprising:

• one or more network elements, each of which comprising
• a data transfer interface for receiving data and for transmitting data,
• a control processor section that maintains at least one look-up table having information stored therein defining first actions that are executed in conjunction with managing a first data frame,
• a network processor section that manages the first data frame in accordance with a corresponding entry in the at least one look-up table, and
• a controller that transmits, to one or more other of the one or more network elements, one or more second data frames, different from said first data frame, said one or more second data frames containing a configuration program comprising one or more computer executable instructions defining at least one second action to be executed by the one or more network elements in conjunction with managing the first data frame,
• wherein:
• the control processor section of each of the network elements, upon receipt of the one of more second data frames, reads, from the received one or more second data frames, the configuration program and stores the configuration program in a memory separate from the at least one look-up table, and updates the at least one look-up table to include an order to execute the at least one second action of the stored configuration program in a manner such that the stored configuration program is associated with the first data frame by way of the at least one look-up table, and
• the network processor section of each of the network elements, responsive to a situation in which the managing of a received first data frame includes a match in the updated look-up table containing the order to execute the configuration program, executes the stored at least one second action defined by the configuration program in accordance with the update to the at least one look-up table.

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for configuring a network element of a software-defined network, the network element maintaining at least one look-up table defining first actions to be executed in conjunction with managing a first data frame, the computer program comprising computer executable instructions for controlling a programmable control processor section of the network element to:

• read, from one or more second data frames, received from a controller of the software-defined network and distinguishable from the first data frame, a configuration program comprising one or more computer executable instructions defining at least one second action to be executed in conjunction with managing the first data frame, the one or more computer executable instructions being different from the first actions stored in the at least one look-up table;
• store the received configuration program in a memory separate from the at least one look-up table;
• update the at least one look-up table to include an order to execute the at least one second action of the stored configuration program in a manner such that the stored configuration program is associated with the first data frame with the aid of the at least one look-up table;
• and
• responsive to a situation in which the managing of a received first data frame includes a match in the updated look-up table containing the order to execute the configuration program, execute the stored at least one second action defined by the configuration program in accordance with the update to the at least one look-up table.