A method implemented by a network element to execute a forwarding information base, FIB, manager and to program a packet forwarding function of the network element, where the FIB manager supports a hybrid control plane with software defined networking, SDN, and local control plane processes, the method comprising: receiving a request to configure a node reachability configuration element, where the node reachability configuration element describes packet processing instruction for the packet forwarding function to forward packets toward a referred node, wherein the FIB manager configures logical switches of the network element by adding or removing reachability configuration elements as the local control plane process adds or removes configuration of how a remote node is reachable from the network element; selecting a flow control agent to be updated for reachability to the referred node; updating a logical forwarding information representation to encode a next hop identifier for the referred node, wherein the logical forwarding information representation is a logical port instance or a flow control group entry and when the logical forwarding information representation is the logical port instance, and in response to the node reachability configuration element being revoked, deleting the logical port instance from an associated flow control logical switch; and sending a flow control port status message to a services controller identifying the logical port instance. manager and to program a packet forwarding function of the network element, where the FIB manager supports a hybrid control plane with software defined networking, SDN, and local control plane processes, the method comprising: receiving a request to configure a node reachability configuration element, where the node reachability configuration element describes packet processing instruction for the packet forwarding function to forward packets toward a referred node, wherein the FIB manager configures logical switches of the network element by adding or removing reachability configuration elements as the local control plane process adds or removes configuration of how a remote node is reachable from the network element; selecting a flow control agent to be updated for reachability to the referred node; updating a logical forwarding information representation to encode a next hop identifier for the referred node, wherein the logical forwarding information representation is a logical port instance or a flow control group entry and when the logical forwarding information representation is the logical port instance, and in response to the node reachability configuration element being revoked, deleting the logical port instance from an associated flow control logical switch; and sending a flow control port status message to a services controller identifying the logical port instance. receiving a request to configure a node reachability configuration element, where the node reachability configuration element describes packet processing instruction for the packet forwarding function to forward packets toward a referred node, wherein the FIB manager configures logical switches of the network element by adding or removing reachability configuration elements as the local control plane process adds or removes configuration of how a remote node is reachable from the network element; selecting a flow control agent to be updated for reachability to the referred node; updating a logical forwarding information representation to encode a next hop identifier for the referred node, wherein the logical forwarding information representation is a logical port instance or a flow control group entry and when the logical forwarding information representation is the logical port instance, and in response to the node reachability configuration element being revoked, deleting the logical port instance from an associated flow control logical switch; and sending a flow control port status message to a services controller identifying the logical port instance.