METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORWARDING PACKET BASED ON INTEGRATED FLOW TABLE

• US 20200136969A1
• Filed: 12/23/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: TAN, Kun, SHEN, Wei-Liang
• Granted Patent: US 11,496,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4629 using multilayer switching, e.g. layer 3 switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/54 Organization of routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3009 Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches

Abstract

This application discloses a method and an apparatus for forwarding a packet based on an integrated flow table. The integrated flow table includes a plurality of flow entries, each of the plurality of flow entries includes a mapping relationship between a match item and an operation set, the match item includes a plurality of packet header fields, and the method includes: obtaining a first packet; extracting a plurality of first packet header fields from a packet header of the first packet; searching the integrated flow table for a target flow entry matching the plurality of first packet header fields, to determine an operation set corresponding to the first packet; and performing the other operations in the operation set on the first packet, to obtain a second packet corresponding to the first packet, and forwarding the second packet.

Claims

1. A method for forwarding a packet based on an integrated flow table, wherein the integrated flow table comprises a plurality of flow entries, each of the plurality of flow entries comprises a mapping relationship between a match item and an operation set, the match item comprises a plurality of packet header fields, the operation set comprises a forwarding operation, and the method comprises:

obtaining a first packet;

extracting a plurality of first packet header fields from a packet header of the first packet, wherein the plurality of first packet header fields have same categories as a plurality of packet header fields comprised in one of the plurality of flow entries;

searching the integrated flow table for a target flow entry matching the plurality of first packet header fields, to determine an operation set corresponding to the first packet, wherein the operation set corresponding to the first packet further comprises other operations performed on the first packet between the operation of determining the operation set corresponding to the first packet and the forwarding operation;

performing the other operations in the operation set on the first packet, to obtain a second packet corresponding to the first packet; and

forwarding the second packet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracting a plurality of first packet header fields from a packet header of the first packet comprises:

performing an AND operation on the packet header of the first packet and a mask, to obtain the plurality of first packet header fields of the first packet, wherein the mask indicates locations of the plurality of first packet header fields in the packet header of the first packet.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

generating the mask, wherein the mask and the packet header of the first packet have a same byte length, and non-zero bits in the mask correspond to the plurality of packet header fields comprised in the target flow entry.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of flow entries are located in a plurality of rows of the integrated flow table, each of the plurality of rows of the integrated flow table corresponds to an expiration time, the expiration time indicates a moment of deleting a flow entry in the row corresponding to the expiration time from the integrated flow table, the target flow entry is located in a row corresponding to a first expiration time, and the method further comprises:

after the searching the integrated flow table for a target flow entry matching the plurality of first packet header fields, to determine an operation set corresponding to the first packet, moving the target flow entry from the row corresponding to the first expiration time to a row corresponding to a second expiration time, wherein the second expiration time is later than the first expiration time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining a third packet;

extracting a plurality of second packet header fields from a packet header of the third packet, wherein the plurality of second packet header fields have same categories as the plurality of packet header fields comprised in one of the plurality of flow entries;

when the integrated flow table does not comprise a target flow entry matching the plurality of second packet header fields, obtaining at least one operation corresponding to the third packet from an open virtual switch (OVS), wherein the at least one operation comprises a forwarding operation; and

performing the at least one operation on the third packet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the other operations comprise one or more of the following operations:

an operation of adding a field to a packet header, an operation of deleting a field from a packet header, an operation of modifying content of a field in a packet header, an operation of setting a priority of a packet, or an operation of setting connection tracking.

7. An apparatus for forwarding a packet based on an integrated flow table, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a processor, and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

obtain a first packet;

extract a plurality of first packet header fields from a packet header of the first packet, wherein an integrated flow table comprises a plurality of flow entries, each of the plurality of flow entries comprises a mapping relationship between a match item and an operation set, the match item comprises a plurality of packet header fields, the operation set comprises a forwarding operation, and wherein the plurality of first packet header fields have same categories as a plurality of packet header fields comprised in one of the plurality of flow entries;

search the integrated flow table for a target flow entry matching the plurality of first packet header fields, to determine an operation set corresponding to the first packet, wherein the operation set corresponding to the first packet further comprises other operations performed on the first packet between the operation of determining the operation set corresponding to the first packet and the forwarding operation;

perform the other operations in the operation set on the first packet, to obtain a second packet corresponding to the first packet; and

forward the second packet.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

perform an AND operation on the packet header of the first packet and a mask, to obtain the plurality of first packet header fields of the first packet, wherein the mask indicates locations of the plurality of first packet header fields in the packet header of the first packet.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

generate the mask, wherein the mask and the packet header of the first packet have a same byte length, and non-zero bits in the mask correspond to the plurality of packet header fields comprised in the target flow entry.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of flow entries are located in a plurality of rows of the integrated flow table, each of the plurality of rows of the integrated flow table corresponds to an expiration time, the expiration time indicates a moment of deleting a flow entry in the row corresponding to the expiration time from the integrated flow table, the target flow entry is located in a row corresponding to a first expiration time, and wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

after the searching the integrated flow table for a target flow entry matching the plurality of first packet header fields, to determine an operation set corresponding to the first packet, moving the target flow entry from the row corresponding to the first expiration time to a row corresponding to a second expiration time, wherein the second expiration time is later than the first expiration time.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

obtain a third packet;

extract a plurality of second packet header fields from a packet header of the third packet, wherein the plurality of second packet header fields have same categories as the plurality of packet header fields comprised in one of the plurality of flow entries;

when the integrated flow table does not comprise a target flow entry matching the plurality of second packet header fields, obtain at least one operation corresponding to the third packet from an open virtual switch (OVS), wherein the at least one operation comprises a forwarding operation; and

perform the at least one operation on the third packet.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the other operations comprise one or more of the following operations:

an operation of adding a field to a packet header, an operation of deleting a field from a packet header, an operation of modifying content of a field in a packet header, an operation of setting a priority of a packet, or an operation of setting connection tracking.

13. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by a processor, cause an apparatus to:

obtain a first packet;

extract a plurality of first packet header fields from a packet header of the first packet, wherein an integrated flow table comprises a plurality of flow entries, each of the plurality of flow entries comprises a mapping relationship between a match item and an operation set, the match item comprises a plurality of packet header fields, the operation set comprises a forwarding operation, and wherein the plurality of first packet header fields have same categories as a plurality of packet header fields comprised in one of the plurality of flow entries;

search the integrated flow table for a target flow entry matching the plurality of first packet header fields, to determine an operation set corresponding to the first packet, wherein the operation set corresponding to the first packet further comprises other operations performed on the first packet between the operation of determining the operation set corresponding to the first packet and the forwarding operation;

perform the other operations in the operation set on the first packet, to obtain a second packet corresponding to the first packet; and

forwarding the second packet.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer program product further causes the apparatus to:

perform an AND operation on the packet header of the first packet and a mask, to obtain the plurality of first packet header fields of the first packet, wherein the mask indicates locations of the plurality of first packet header fields in the packet header of the first packet.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer program product further causes the apparatus to:

generate the mask, wherein the mask and the packet header of the first packet have a same byte length, and non-zero bits in the mask correspond to the plurality of packet header fields comprised in the target flow entry.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the plurality of flow entries are located in a plurality of rows of the integrated flow table, each of the plurality of rows of the integrated flow table corresponds to an expiration time, the expiration time indicates a moment of deleting a flow entry in the row corresponding to the expiration time from the integrated flow table, the target flow entry is located in a row corresponding to a first expiration time, and wherein the computer program product further causes the apparatus to:

after the searching the integrated flow table for a target flow entry matching the plurality of first packet header fields, to determine an operation set corresponding to the first packet, moving the target flow entry from the row corresponding to the first expiration time to a row corresponding to a second expiration time, wherein the second expiration time is later than the first expiration time.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer program product further causes the apparatus to:

obtain a third packet;

extract a plurality of second packet header fields from a packet header of the third packet, wherein the plurality of second packet header fields have same categories as the plurality of packet header fields comprised in one of the plurality of flow entries;

when the integrated flow table does not comprise a target flow entry matching the plurality of second packet header fields, obtain at least one operation corresponding to the third packet from an open virtual switch (OVS), wherein the at least one operation comprises a forwarding operation; and

perform the at least one operation on the third packet.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the other operations comprise one or more of the following operations:

an operation of adding a field to a packet header, an operation of deleting a field from a packet header, an operation of modifying content of a field in a packet header, an operation of setting a priority of a packet, or an operation of setting connection tracking.