Patent ID: 8204967

Claim:
A method of selectively creating chains for a virtual interface, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: determining whether a new encapsulation chain should be created, on a network element, for a particular virtual interface by determining whether at least one physical port of a particular card of the network element (a) is configured to send data packets of a type that would be produced by an encapsulation chain for the particular virtual interface and (b) can send data packets toward a destination associated with the particular virtual interface; determining whether a new decapsulation chain should be created, on the network element, for the particular virtual interface by determining whether at least one physical port of a particular card of the network element is configured to receive data packets of a type that would be processed by a decapsulation chain for the particular virtual interface; in response to determining that a new encapsulation chain should be created, on the network element, for the particular virtual interface, creating, on the network element, a new encapsulation chain for the particular virtual interface; and in response to determining that a new decapsulation chain should be created, on the network element, for the particular virtual interface, creating, on the network element, a new decapsulation chain for the particular virtual interface.