A Make-Before-Break (MBB) method, in a node operating in a network with a control plane, decoupling the control plane from a data plane, includes, for a connection operating on a path in the network, determining a reserved connection on a new path, through the control plane, wherein the reserved connection has zero bandwidth; signaling the reserved connection on the new path; creating the reserved connection in the control plane while suspending implementation in the data plane due to the zero bandwidth; and releasing the connection on the path and modifying the reserved connection on the new path to establish the connection on the new path.

A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program that configures managed forwarding elements to establish tunnels between the managed forwarding elements is described. From a particular managed forwarding element, the program receives information regarding coupling of a network element to the first managed forwarding element. Upon receiving the information, the program generates a set of universal flow entries for configuring another managed forwarding element to establish a tunnel to the particular managed forwarding element.

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for establishing reverse paths between servers in a copy environment. A path establish request operation is initiated to establish paths between a first system and a second system for a copy relationship to copy data from a first storage to a second storage managed by the second system. In response to the path establish request, a pair of ports is established at the first system and the second system to use for a first path from the first system to the second system. The first system sends a reverse path establish request to establish a second path from the second system to the first system, wherein the second system sends messages to the first system on the second path for the copy relationship.

Methods and systems are disclosed for providing a signaling protocol to enable a bi-directional point-to-point Ethernet Virtual Circuits (EVC) to be configured between any two network elements, as part of a network infrastructure. The bi-directional EVC is established by configuration of a source network element and a destination network element, and defines a bi-directional data path across the network infrastructure therebetween. The EVC may include one or more network elements over which the data path may traverse. The methods and systems disclosed may be applied to linear, ring and mesh network topologies.

A network switch and a network switch system thereof are provided. The network switch includes a plurality of connection ports and a processing circuit. When any of the connection ports receives a first abnormal message packet and one of the connection ports is in a disabled state, the processing circuit sets the connection port in the disabled state to switch to an enabled state, and the processing circuit does not forward the first abnormal message packet in the single loop network. When one of the connection ports is abnormal and each of the connection ports forming the single loop network is in the enabled state, the processing circuit sets the abnormal connection port to switch to the disabled state, and transmits a second abnormal message packet to other network switches in the single loop network through another connection port that is not abnormal.

Managing network ports is disclosed. Network session identification information is received. The network session identification information is associated with a destination IP address and a destination network port. An available source network port is determined using a data structure that is based on the destination IP address and the destination network port.

Example implementations relate to a bridge port extender. For example, a bridge port extender may include a processor. The processor may receive an Ethernet frame from a network bridge, where the Ethernet frame includes an encapsulated portion and an unencapsulated portion, and where the unencapsulated portion includes an E-tag. The processor may remove the E-tag from the unencapsulated portion to form a modified Ethernet frame. The processor may transmit the modified Ethernet frame to a client device based on the E-tag.

A switching device includes a processor, an input buffer, an output buffer, and a Banyan switching architecture, where the processor is configured to convert an initial switching table to a non-congestion switching table and an order-adjustment table using a preset reordering algorithm; the input buffer is configured to save first period data that is from an input port; the processor is further configured to perform, using the non-congestion switching table, data switching on data in the first full-period data saved in the input buffer, to obtain second full-period data; the Banyan switching architecture is configured to perform synchronous data switching on the second full-period data; the output buffer is configured to save the second full-period data on which the synchronous data switching has been performed; the processor is further configured to adjust, using the order-adjustment table, a data order of the second period data.

A method and system for automatic redirection of control channel messages in response to a control channel failure with a target switch in a software defined networking (SDN) network, the automatic redirection occurring before a topology of the SDN network is updated in response to the control channel failure. The method includes determining whether a control channel message is to be sent to an SDN controller, checking availability of the control channel, selecting a backup port to reach the SDN controller in response to the control channel being unavailable, and forwarding the control channel message to the SDN controller via the backup port.

A method and system for automatic redirection of control channel messages in response to a control channel failure with a target switch in a software defined networking (SDN) network, the automatic redirection occurring before a topology of the SDN network is updated in response to the control channel failure. The method includes determining whether a control channel message is to be sent to an SDN controller, checking availability of the control channel, selecting a backup port to reach the SDN controller in response to the control channel being unavailable, and forwarding the control channel message to the SDN controller via the backup port.