A packet processor of a network device repeatedly determines a fill level of a forwarding table that is populated with associations between network addresses and network interfaces of, or coupled to, the network device. The packet processor adjusts, based on the fill level of the forwarding table, a maximum rate according to which the packet processor is permitted to send messages to a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to the packet processor, the messages indicating network addresses that are to be stored in the forwarding table by the CPU. The packet processor of the network device receives packets via network links coupled to the network device; identifies new network addresses of the packets that are not in the forwarding table; and sends messages to the CPU at a rate that does not exceed the maximum rate, the messages indicating the new network addresses are to be added to the forwarding table.

A packet processor of a network device repeatedly determines a fill level of a forwarding table that is populated with associations between network addresses and network interfaces of, or coupled to, the network device. The packet processor adjusts, based on the fill level of the forwarding table, a maximum rate according to which the packet processor is permitted to send messages to a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to the packet processor, the messages indicating network addresses that are to be stored in the forwarding table by the CPU. The packet processor of the network device receives packets via network links coupled to the network device; identifies new network addresses of the packets that are not in the forwarding table; and sends messages to the CPU at a rate that does not exceed the maximum rate, the messages indicating the new network addresses are to be added to the forwarding table.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided to populate databases with routing data for containers to eliminate the need for continuously accessing a global discovery service. An example method includes initiating, from a source container operating on a first machine in a first rack, a communication with a destination container operating on a second machine on a second rack, wherein a local database on the first machine does not know an address of the destination container. The method includes accessing a global discovery service to provide the address of the destination container, populating the local database on the first machine with the address of the destination container and routing a packet from the source container to the destination container according to the address of the destination container.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided to populate databases with routing data for containers to eliminate the need for continuously accessing a global discovery service. An example method includes initiating, from a source container operating on a first machine in a first rack, a communication with a destination container operating on a second machine on a second rack, wherein a local database on the first machine does not know an address of the destination container. The method includes accessing a global discovery service to provide the address of the destination container, populating the local database on the first machine with the address of the destination container and routing a packet from the source container to the destination container according to the address of the destination container.

The present disclosure includes methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable media for validating data in a data structure used for forwarding packets by a network device comprising sending a data packet probe identifying a destination and including a segment ID, wherein the segment ID maps to a first interpretation by a receiving router to perform an action on the data packet probe to rewrite a portion of a destination address in a header of the data packet probe, and to redirect the data packet probe to the network device that initiated the data packet probe.

The present disclosure includes methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable media for validating data in a data structure used for forwarding packets by a network device comprising sending a data packet probe identifying a destination and including a segment ID, wherein the segment ID maps to a first interpretation by a receiving router to perform an action on the data packet probe to rewrite a portion of a destination address in a header of the data packet probe, and to redirect the data packet probe to the network device that initiated the data packet probe.

A method includes: When receiving at least one policy, a first network device sends one or more policies in the at least one policy to a second network device based on filtering information. The filtering information includes a policy address family identifier and a device identifier of the second network device.

A method includes: When receiving at least one policy, a first network device sends one or more policies in the at least one policy to a second network device based on filtering information. The filtering information includes a policy address family identifier and a device identifier of the second network device.

A solution for route selection includes receiving, by a network repository, from a first network function (NF), a query related to a target NF; querying, by the network repository, a route selection node for a shortest path to the target NF; receiving, by the network repository, from the route selection node, an indication of the shortest path to the target NF; and based on at least receiving the indication of the shortest path to the target NF, transmitting, by the network repository, to the first NF, a route to the target NF. In some examples, the shortest path has at least one of: a minimum number of hops, a minimum latency, a minimum jitter, and a minimum weighted transport score. In some examples, the route selection node is co-located with the network repository, which may be a network repository function (NRF).

A novel algorithm for packet classification that is based on a novel search structure for packet classification rules is provided. Addresses from all the containers are merged and maintained in a single Trie. Each entry in the Trie has additional information that can be traced back to the container from where the address originated. This information is used to keep the Trie in sync with the containers when the container definition dynamically changes.