Juniper Networks, Inc.

Timothy L Patrick

Nitin Kumar

Scott Mackie

Alex Baban

Eswaran Srinivasan

Nayan S Patel

Andrzej Szyszko

Surya Chandra Sekhar Nimmagadda

A network device that includes a plurality of packet processing components may receive traffic associated with one or more services. The network device may store state information for each of the plurality of packet processing components, while the plurality of packet processing components are receiving the traffic. The state information may include state configuration information and/or internal storage information. The state information may be stored using a data structure that is internal to the network device and external to the packet processing component. The network device may detect an error that prevents the packet processing component from processing at least a portion of the traffic. The network device may execute, based on detecting the error that prevents the packet processing component from processing at least the portion of the traffic, a recovery procedure that uses the state information to reset the packet processing component to an operational state.

Method for resetting a packet processing component to an operational state

In some examples, a network device comprises a first application and a second application; a forwarding unit comprising an interface card to receive a packet; a packet processor; an internal forwarding path of the forwarding unit; a forwarding unit processor; a first interface; and a second interface. The first application is configured to configure, via the first interface, the internal forwarding path to include a sandbox that comprises a container for instructions to be configured inline within the internal forwarding path. The second application is configured to configure, via the second interface, the sandbox with second instructions that determine processing of packets within the sandbox. The packet processor is configured to process, in response to determining a packet received by the forwarding unit is associated with a packet flow controlled at least in part by the second application, the packet by executing the second instructions configured for the sandbox.

Network device data plane sandboxes for third-party controlled packet forwarding paths

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Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

Timothy L Patrick