Some examples herein disclose identifying a service function chain based on a switch address from a packet. The examples disclose modifying the switch address to an address corresponding to a service function based on the identified service function chain. The examples also disclose forwarding the packet to the service function according to the modified switch address.

Some examples herein disclose identifying a service function chain based on a switch address from a packet. The examples disclose modifying the switch address to an address corresponding to a service function based on the identified service function chain. The examples also disclose forwarding the packet to the service function according to the modified switch address.

An initial node deployment to form a cluster involves execution of program code to begin discovering other nodes on a LAN that will constitute the cluster. A node initially starts processes to obtain information to transition from an unconfigured state to a configured state. The nodes on the LAN can execute a discovery process that facilitates forming and configuring of the cluster, but the discovered information is confined within the LAN. This effectively blocks cluster configuration until someone locally connects to a host and retrieves a node address. To remove this obstacle, a node image can include program code to detect a compliant target device and extract to the target device an address of a discovered node that is valid for remote cluster configuration. The target device can then be used to convey the extracted address to allow commencement of cluster configuration remotely.

An initial node deployment to form a cluster involves execution of program code to begin discovering other nodes on a LAN that will constitute the cluster. A node initially starts processes to obtain information to transition from an unconfigured state to a configured state. The nodes on the LAN can execute a discovery process that facilitates forming and configuring of the cluster, but the discovered information is confined within the LAN. This effectively blocks cluster configuration until someone locally connects to a host and retrieves a node address. To remove this obstacle, a node image can include program code to detect a compliant target device and extract to the target device an address of a discovered node that is valid for remote cluster configuration. The target device can then be used to convey the extracted address to allow commencement of cluster configuration remotely.

A bridging apparatus includes an address-table managing unit configured to manage an address table in which devices connected to networks are registered, a presence-check-frame transmission control unit configured to transmit a presence check frame for checking whether a device is connected to a network, and a network transmission-reception control unit configured to call, upon receipt of a response request frame transmitted from a first device connected to a first network toward a second device connected to a second network, the address-table managing unit to register the first device in the address table and check whether the second device is registered in the address table, and when the second device is registered, transmit an acknowledgement to the first device and transfer the response request frame to the second network, whereas when the second device is not registered, instruct the presence-check-frame transmission control unit to transfer the response request frame to the second network.

A bridging apparatus includes an address-table managing unit configured to manage an address table in which devices connected to networks are registered, a presence-check-frame transmission control unit configured to transmit a presence check frame for checking whether a device is connected to a network, and a network transmission-reception control unit configured to call, upon receipt of a response request frame transmitted from a first device connected to a first network toward a second device connected to a second network, the address-table managing unit to register the first device in the address table and check whether the second device is registered in the address table, and when the second device is registered, transmit an acknowledgement to the first device and transfer the response request frame to the second network, whereas when the second device is not registered, instruct the presence-check-frame transmission control unit to transfer the response request frame to the second network.