Implementing a software defined network using event records that are transmitted from a network switch

• US 9,325,569 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Mogul, Jeffrey C., Congdon, Paul T, Barron, Dwight L
• Primary Examiner(s): Chriss, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAK, PETER K
• Application Number:
  US13/539,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20140003422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 370/242, 370/254, 370/368, 370/382, 370/389, 370/394, 709/244, 709/226
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0686 Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/54 Organization of routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/745 Address table lookup; Address filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74591 using content-addressable memories [CAM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

Each of a plurality of data packets that is received on a network switch can be associated with a corresponding event record that identifies one or more flow table rules for that data packet. A plurality of event records, which individually can correspond to one or more of the data packets, is transmitted to a programmable resource for use in controlling a Software Defined Network.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a Software Defined Network, the method comprising:

associating each corresponding data packet, of a plurality of data packets received on a network switch, with a corresponding event record that identifies one or more flow table rules for the corresponding data packet;

storing event records, including the corresponding event record, in a local buffer of the network switch;

when the event records in the local buffer reach a buffer threshold, transmitting the event records to a programmable resource for use in controlling the Software Defined Network, each of the event records corresponding to one or more of the plurality of data packets; and

storing a plurality of counter tables, each comprising a plurality of counters, in a memory resource utilized by the programmable resource, the plurality of counters being determined from the event records that are transmitted from the network switch.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing the event records before transmitting the event records to the programmable resource.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding event record associated with the corresponding data packet specifies a size of the corresponding data packet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding event record associated with the corresponding data packet specifies a time stamp when the corresponding data packet was received at the network switch.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the programmable resource is external to the network switch.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the programmable resource comprises (i) a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) resource to receive the event records and store the plurality of counter tables, and (ii) a processing unit to unpack the event records and update the plurality of counters in each of the plurality of counter tables based on the unpacked event records.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the event records are streamed from a direct memory access (DMA) component of the network switch to the programmable resource.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the processing unit is a central processing unit that operates to read the streamed event records from the DMA component of the network switch.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising implementing one or more triggers for controlling the Software Defined Network based on a counter threshold determined from the updated plurality of counters, the one or more triggers causing the programmable resource to (i) generate a report for a system controller for managing the Software Defined Network, (ii) implement a security policy, or (iii) inspect flow rates on the network switch.

10. A network switch for a Software Defined Network, comprising:

a flow table;

an event record generator to determine a corresponding event record for an incoming data packet, the event record generator referencing the incoming data packet to an entry for the flow table in order to determine a rule number for the incoming data packet, the corresponding event record for the incoming data packet identifying the rule number and a size of the incoming data packet;

a local buffer to store event records, including the corresponding event record, for a plurality of data packets; and

a transmission component that transmits the event records from the local buffer to an external programmable resource when the event records in the local buffer reach a buffer threshold;

wherein the external programmable resource is to access a plurality of counters stored in a memory resource, and wherein the plurality of counters are to be determined from the event records transmitted from the network switch.

11. The network switch of claim 10, further comprising a compression component that compresses the event records stored in the local buffer.

12. The network switch of claim 10, wherein the transmission component includes a direct memory access (DMA) component that streams the event records to a memory resource of the external programmable resource.

13. A switching system for a Software Defined Network, the switching system comprising:

a programmable resource;

a memory associated with the programmable resource; and

a network switch that is a separate physical component from the programmable resource, the network switch comprising;

a flow table;

an event record generator to determine a corresponding event record for an incoming data packet, the event record generator referencing the incoming data packet to an entry for the flow table in order to determine a rule number for the incoming data packet, the corresponding event record for the incoming data packet identifying the rule number and a size of the incoming data packet;

a local buffer to store event records, including the corresponding event record, for a plurality of data packets; and

a transmission component that transmits the event records from the local buffer to the memory of the programmable resource when the event records in the local buffer reach a buffer threshold;

wherein the programmable resource is to access a plurality of counters stored in the memory, and wherein the plurality of counters are to be determined from the event records transmitted from the network switch.

14. The switching system of claim 13, further comprising a controller, and:

wherein the programmable resource constructs the plurality of counters from the event records transmitted from the transmission component, and defines one or more triggers based on a threshold condition that is defined from one or more counters in the plurality of counters; and

wherein the programmable resource communicates the one or more triggers to the controller in order to implement one or more policies that are associated with the threshold condition.