Method and system for virtualized forwarding

1. A network element comprising:

a traffic manager configured to perform at least one of policing of traffic flows and shaping of traffic flows; and

a switching element communicatively coupled to the traffic manager;

wherein the switching element and the traffic manager together are configured to:

receive a frame via an ingress port of the network element;

assign a virtual destination address to the frame;

modify the virtual destination address one or more times such that the virtual destination address is translated to an actual destination address identifying an actual egress port of the network element; and,

route the frame to the actual egress port of the network element based on the actual destination address;

the switching element comprising:

a first stage configured to assign the virtual destination address upon ingress of the frame;

a second stage configured to, only when the frame is subject to protection switching, translate a virtual module identifier of a plug-in unit (PIU) of the network element and a virtual destination port of the virtual destination address to at least one of (i) a virtual destination trunk for the frame and (ii) the virtual module identifier of the PIU and the actual egress port;

a third stage configured to translate the virtual destination trunk of received from the second stage to the virtual module identifier of the PIU and the actual egress port;

a fourth stage configured to, based on the virtual module identifier of the PIU from the second stage or the third stage, select an internal link of the network element for communication of the frame from the switching element to the traffic manager, where the internal link comprises an intra-PIU link or an inter-PIU link between different PIUs of the network element; and

a sixth stage configured to, based on an actual module identifier of the PIU and the actual egress port of the frame, route the frame to the actual egress port.

2. A network element according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual destination address assigned to the frame comprises at least one of:

a virtual destination trunk for the frame;

a virtual module identifier of a PIU and a virtual destination port for the frame; and

a virtual module identifier of a PIU and an actual destination port for the frame.

3. A network element according to claim 1 , the traffic manager comprising a fifth stage configured to translate a virtual module identifier of a PIU and the actual egress port to the actual module identifier of the PIU and the actual egress port.

4. A method comprising:

receiving a frame via an ingress port of a network element;

assigning a virtual destination address to the frame upon ingress of the frame;

modifying the virtual destination address one or more times such that the virtual destination address is translated to an actual destination address identifying an actual egress port of the network element; and

routing the frame to the actual egress port of the network element based on the actual destination address;

wherein modifying the virtual destination address comprises:

only when the frame is subject to protection switching, translating a virtual module identifier of a plug-in unit (PIU) of the network element and a virtual destination port of the virtual destination address to at least one of (i) a virtual destination trunk for the frame and (ii) the virtual module identifier of the PIU and the actual egress port;

when the frame is subject to protection switching and the virtual module identifier of the PIU is translated to the virtual destination trunk for the frame, translating the virtual destination trunk to the virtual module identifier of the PIU and the actual egress port; and

translating the virtual module identifier of the PIU and the actual egress port to an actual module identifier of the PIU and the actual egress port; and

routing the frame to the actual egress port of the network element based on the actual destination address comprises routing the frame based on the actual module identifier of the PIU and the actual egress port of the frame.

5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein assigning the virtual destination address to the frame comprises at least one of:

assigning a virtual destination trunk for the frame;

assigning a virtual module identifier of a PIU and a virtual destination port for the frame; and

assigning a virtual module identifier of a PIU and an actual destination port for the frame.

6. A method according to claim 4 , further comprising based on a virtual module identifier of a PIU of the virtual destination address, selecting an internal link of the network element for communication of the frame from a switching element to a traffic manager, where the internal link comprises an intra-PIU link or an inter-PIU link between different PIUs of the network element.

7. A method according to claim 6 , further comprising performing at least one or more of shaping and policing of a flow including the frame.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising logic that is operable when executed by a processor to:

receive a frame via an ingress port of a network element;

assign a virtual destination address to the frame upon ingress of the frame;

modify the virtual destination address one or more times such that the virtual destination address is translated to an actual destination address identifying an actual egress port of the network element; and

route the frame to the actual egress port of the network element based on the actual destination address;

wherein modifying the virtual destination address comprises:

when the frame is subject to protection switching, translating a virtual module identifier of a plug-in unit (PIU) of the network element and a virtual destination port of the virtual destination address to at least one of (i) a virtual destination trunk for the frame and (ii) the virtual module identifier of the PIU and the actual egress port;

when the frame is subject to protection switching and the virtual module identifier of the PIU is translated to the virtual destination trunk for the frame, translating the virtual destination trunk to the virtual module identifier of the PIU and the actual egress port; and

translating the virtual module identifier of the PIU and the actual egress port to an actual module identifier of the PIU and the actual egress port; and

routing the frame to the actual egress port of the network element based on the actual destination address comprises routing the frame based on the actual module identifier of the PIU and the actual egress port of the frame.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 8 , wherein assigning the virtual destination address to the frame comprises at least one of:

assigning a virtual destination trunk for the frame;

assigning a virtual module identifier of a PIU and a virtual destination port for the frame; and

assigning a virtual module identifier of a PIU and an actual destination port for the frame.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 8 , the logic further operable to select an internal link of the network element for communication of the frame from a switching element to a traffic manager based on a virtual module identifier of a PIU of the virtual destination address, where the internal link comprises an intra-PIU link or an inter-PIU link between different PIUs of the network element.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10 , the logic further operable to perform at least one of:

police a flow including the frame; and

shape the flow including the frame.