SDN packet forwarding

1. A method for forwarding a Software Defined Networking (SDN) packet, applied in a SDN data forwarding device, comprising:

dividing a flow table with a plurality of flow table entries according to a class in advance, and obtaining multi-layer flow tables in sequence, wherein each layer of flow table corresponds to a class of flow table; and

receiving a SDN packet, searching each layer of flow table in sequence according to a precedence order of the multi-layer flow tables, or directly pointing to a specified flow table to search a matched flow table entry, and processing the SDN packet.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the flow table comprises three classes, wherein a first class of flow table is established by a Radix tree, a second class of flow table is established by a Hash table or a Balanced Binary Search Tree (or a AVL tree) or a Binary Sort Tree, and a third class of flow table is established by an Access Control List (ACL);

the first class of flow table entries established by a Radix tree have no matching priority, with a fixed matching domain, and a matching domain has a mask;

the second class of flow table entries established by a Hash table or a AVL tree or a Binary Sort Tree have no matching priority, with a fixed matching domain, and a matching domain has no mask or has a mask with same length; and

the third class of flow table entries established by an ACL have a matching priority and a non-fixed matching domain.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the multi-layer flow tables with different classes are used in terms of combination of classes in any order.

4. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising: receiving a message sent by a controlling device carrying a class of each layer of flow table to classify the multi-layer flow tables, wherein when the class of flow table is the first class or the second class, the message further carries a fixed matching domain corresponding to the first class of flow table or the second class of flow table.

5. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising: classifying the multi-layer flow tables by configuration of a network administrator, wherein when the class of flow table is the first class or the second class, the flow table is configured with a corresponding fixed matching domain.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein searching each layer of flow table in sequence according to a precedence order of the multi-layer flow tables or directly pointing to a specified flow table to search a matched flow table entry and processing the SDN packet comprises:

when the SDN packet is matched with a flow table entry, forwarding the SDN packet according to a match operation;

when the SDN packet is not matched with any flow table entries, according to an operation of a bottom flow table entry configured in each layer of flow table, continuing to search a subsequent flow table, discarding the SDN packet, or sending the SDN packet to a controlling device.

7. A Software Defined Networking (SDN) data forwarding device, comprising:

a multi-layer flow table obtaining module to:

divide a flow table with a plurality of flow table entries according to a class in advance; and

obtain multi-layer flow tables in sequence, wherein each layer of flow table corresponds to a class of flow table; and

a packet processing module to:

receive a SDN packet;

search each layer of flow table in sequence according to a precedence order of the multi-layer flow tables or directly point to a specified flow table to search a matched flow table entry; and

process the SDN packet.

8. The data forwarding device according to claim 7 , wherein the flow table comprises three classes, wherein a first class of flow table is established by a Radix tree, a second class of flow table is established by a Hash table or a Balanced Binary Search Tree (or a AVL tree) or a Binary Sort Tree, and a third class of flow table is established by an Access Control List (ACL);

the first class of flow table entries established by a Radix tree have no matching priority, with a fixed matching domain, and a matching domain has a mask;

the second class of flow table entries established by a Hash table or a AVL tree or a Binary Sort Tree have no matching priority, with a fixed matching domain, and a matching domain has no mask or has a mask with same length; and

the third class of flow table entries established by an ACL have a matching priority and a non-fixed matching domain.

9. The data forwarding device according to claim 8 , wherein the multi-layer flow tables with different classes are used in terms of combination of classes in any order.

10. The data forwarding device according to claim 8 comprising:

a receiving module to:

receive a message sent by a controlling device carrying a class of each layer of flow table to classify the multi-layer flow tables; and

in response to the class of flow table including the first class or the second class, the message carries a fixed matching domain corresponding to the first class of flow table or the second class of flow table.

11. The data forwarding device according to claim 8 comprising: a configuration module to:

use configuration of the network administrator to classify the multi-layer flow tables in the multi-layer flow table obtaining module, wherein when the class of flow table is the first class or the second class, the flow table is configured with a corresponding fixed matching domain.

12. The data forwarding device according to claim 7 , wherein the packet processing module is to:

when the SDN packet is matched with a flow table entry, forward the SDN packet according to a match operation;

when the SDN packet is not matched with any flow table entries, according to an operation of a bottom flow table entry configured in each layer of flow table, continue to search a subsequent flow table, discard the SDN packet, or send the SDN packet to a controlling device.

13. A Software Defined Networking (SDN) packet forwarding device, comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium;

a processor; and

machine readable instructions stored in the non-transitory storage medium and executable by the processor, the instructions to:

divide a flow table with a plurality of flow table entries according to a class in advance, and obtain multi-layer flow tables in sequence, wherein each layer of flow table corresponds to a class of flow table;

receive a SDN packet;

search each layer of flow table in sequence according to a precedence order of the multi-layer flow tables or directly point to a specified flow table to search a matched flow table entry; and

process the SDN packet.