Embodiments of the present invention provide an access network system, and a data packet processing method and apparatus. The system includes: a controller, configured to perform configuration a flow table for a switching module and a protocol function for at least one functional module; the switching module, configured to send a first data packet to a first functional module of the at least one functional module according to the flow table configured by the controller, where the first functional module is a functional module first indicated in the flow table to process the first data packet; and the at least one functional module, configured to process the first data packet according to the protocol function configured by the controller.

The present disclosure provides a method for communication between a network device and a terminal device, where the network device stores a correspondence between a link-layer address and an IP address that are of the terminal device, and the method includes: obtaining, by the network device, a first link-layer address; determining whether a quantity of IP addresses corresponding to the first link-layer address reaches a threshold; if the quantity reaches the threshold, selecting an IP address from the IP addresses, where a quantity of selected IP addresses is not greater than the maximum quantity; saving a correspondence between the first link-layer address and the selected IP address; and sending, according to the selected IP address, a message to a terminal device having the first link-layer address, where the message is used to notify the terminal device whether an IP address is selected by the network device.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media provide for collection of statistics relating to network traffic between virtual machines (VMs) in a network. In an example embodiment, a virtual switch hosted on a physical server provides network address information of VMs deployed on the physical server to a virtual switch controller. The controller collects this network address information from each virtual switch under its control, and distributes the aggregate address information to each switch. In this manner, the controller and each switch within the controller's domain can learn the network address information of each VM deployed on physical servers hosting switches under the controller's control. Each virtual switch can determine a classification of a frame passing through the switch (e.g., intra-server, inter-server and intra-domain, or inter-domain traffic), and statistics relating to the traffic. In an example embodiment, the virtual switch controller can collect the statistics from each switch within its domain.

A communication device may be configured to access a plurality of subscriptions for a plurality of providers. For example, a communication device may be configured with at least one subscriber identity module (SIM). For a communication device having a plurality of subscriptions accessible thereto, the selection of a subscription to connect to a destination network may be configurable. The selection of a subscription from a plurality of available subscriptions may be based on a cost (e.g., financial cost, data cost, or another resource) associated with connecting to a destination network using different subscriptions. For example, a first subscription may be selected if connection to the destination network is more expensive using a second subscription and/or if the balance on the second subscription is too low.

A network node in a service function chaining system receives a media stream from an endpoint device. The media stream is associated with a media session between the endpoint and at least one other endpoint. The network node determines a path for the media stream. The path includes an ordered list of functions to process the media stream. The network node determines a session identifier for the media stream and encapsulates the media stream with a header. The header includes an indication of the path and the session identifier.

Aspects of the embodiments are directed to receiving an address resolution protocol (ARP) request message from a requesting virtual machine, the ARP request message comprising a request for a destination address for a destination virtual machine, wherein the destination address comprises one or both of a destination hardware address or a destination media access control address; augmenting the ARP request message with a network service header (NSH), the NSH identifying an ARP service function; and forwarding the augmented ARP request to the ARP service function.

Two methods are described to enable the communication between two service layer entities that do not have registration relations. In the first method, service layer entities employ a retargeting table that stores the service layer entity to retarget the message in order to deliver the message to the destination. In a second method, an infrastructure node in a service provider employs a retargeting chain table that stores a chain of entities that can retarget the message to the destination.

One embodiment provides a system for facilitating efficient communication of a collection of interests. During operation, the system receives, by an intermediate node, a first packet which has a name and a first nonce, wherein the first packet indicates a set of member interests, wherein a member interest has a name. In response to not obtaining a matching entry in a pending interest table based on the name for the first packet, the system creates a new entry in the pending interest table, wherein an entry includes a second nonce, a reference count, and a set of arrival nonces and corresponding arrival interfaces. The system sets the new entry's second nonce to a new nonce, and sets the new entry's reference count to a number of member interests indicated in the first packet. The system forwards the first packet, wherein the first nonce is replaced with the new nonce.

Techniques are disclosed for providing automatic policy configuration for packet flows. For example, a computing device comprises a virtual node and one or more virtual execution elements coupled to the virtual node. The computing device may also comprise one or more processors configured to: receive a packet originating from an application workload hosted on the one or more virtual execution elements and destined for a remote destination device; determine the packet is part of a new packet flow; in response, configure, by a kernel of the computing device and without sending the packet to a user space of the computing device, a policy for a forward packet flow for the new packet flow; configure, by the kernel, a policy for a reverse packet flow associated with the forward packet flow; and send the packet toward the remote destination device in accordance with the policy for the forward packet flow.

A routing structure is defined for provider edge (PE) routers that will create the ability to recompute best paths based on application criteria. The routing structure may include the use of a network controller which is connected with the internet to receive requests from applications to trigger path re-computation. The controller will peer with PEs to send re-computation information used by the PE to construct an application-aware BGP table and forwarding instance. The PE also defines a new BGP and packet filter to replicate specific BGP paths into the application-aware table. The application-aware BGP and forwarding instance is unique to the requesting application. Thus, each request with a different source/destination combination obtains a discrete table providing separation. When a packet enters the PE from customer edge (CE) or core interface the packet traverses a packet filter that when matched against source/destination is redirected to the appropriate application-aware forwarding table. Once in the application-aware table the packet is then forwarded along the application-aware path achieving the objective. The instantiation of the application-aware BGP and forwarding table is be done based on BGP updates learned from the controller.