METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING ETHERNET OAM IN A SOFTWARE-DEFINED NETWORKING (SDN) SYSTEM

摘要

A method for implementing Ethernet operation, administration, and management (OAM) function in a network element coupled to a software-defined networking (SDN) system is disclosed. The method comprises adding a flow table entry for an OAM traffic flow to a flow table of the network element. The method continues with adding a group table entry for the OAM traffic flow to a group table of the network element, where the group table entry includes an instruction to send the packet to a set of ports, including a loopback port. The method continues with receiving the packet directing to the group table entry from the SDN controller, and sending the packet to the set of ports of the network element according to the group table entry, where the packet is to be looped back through the loopback port to the flow table periodically at a predetermined interval.

主权项

1. A method implemented in a network element coupled to a software-defined networking (SDN) system, wherein the SDN system contains a plurality of network elements processing traffic flows and a SDN controller managing the plurality of network elements, the method comprising:
adding an entry to a flow table of the network element, wherein the entry is a flow table entry associated with an operation, administration, and management (OAM) traffic flow for an Open System Interconnect (OSI) layer 2 (L2) service; adding an entry to a group table of the network element, wherein the entry is a group table entry to be selected upon receiving a packet matching the flow table entry associated with the OAM traffic flow for the OSI L2 service, wherein the group table entry includes an instruction to send the packet to a set of ports, including a loopback port for the packet to be looped back to the flow table at a predetermined interval; receiving the packet directing to the group table entry from the SDN controller; and sending the packet to the set of ports of the network element according to the group table entry, wherein the packet is to be looped back through the loopback port to the flow table of the network element periodically at the predetermined interval.