Patent ID: 7203740
Filing Date: 2007-04-10
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer system comprising: a forwarding element to perform data forwarding in a computer network, the forwarding element configurable with device-specific instruction; a control element to perform network signaling and control in the computer network, the control element outputting non-device-specific instructions to configure the forwarding element; an interconnecting element operatively connecting the forwarding element to the control element; a forwarding element plugin integrated with the control element to conceal from the control element a configuration interface of the forwarding element by receiving the non-device-specific instructions from the control element, translating the non-device-specific instructions into the device-specific instructions of the forwarding element, and transmitting the device-specific instructions to the forwarding element, wherein the forwarding element utilizes the device-specific instructions to configure the forwarding element for performing data forwarding in the computer network; and an opaque forwarding element plugin integrated with the control element for receiving the non-device-specific instructions from the control element and transmitting the non-device-specific instructions to the forwarding element plugin, and for receiving the translated, device-specific instructions from the forwarding element plugin and transmitting the device-specific instructions to the forwarding element.