US 11,683,214 B2
Network operating system for managing and securing networks
Martin Casado, Portola Valley, CA (US); Keith E. Amidon, Los Altos, CA (US); Peter J. Balland, III, Dublin, CA (US); Natasha Gude, Palo Alto, CA (US); Justin Pettit, Los Altos Hills, CA (US); Benjamin L. Pfaff, Redwood City, CA (US); Scott J. Shenker, Palo Alto, CA (US); and Daniel J. Wendlandt, Los Altos, CA (US)
Assigned to NICIRA, INC., Palo Alto, CA (US)
Filed by Nicira, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 2, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/945,913.
Application 16/945,913 is a continuation of application No. 15/838,317, filed on Dec. 11, 2017, granted, now 10,749,736.
Application 15/838,317 is a continuation of application No. 14/746,816, filed on Jun. 22, 2015, granted, now 9,876,672, issued on Jan. 23, 2018.
Application 14/746,816 is a continuation of application No. 12/286,098, filed on Sep. 26, 2008, granted, now 9,083,609, issued on Jul. 14, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/010,985, filed on Jan. 14, 2008.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/995,435, filed on Sep. 26, 2007.
Prior Publication US 2021/0021455 A1, Jan. 21, 2021
Int. Cl. H04L 41/06 (2022.01); H04L 41/0806 (2022.01); H04L 41/082 (2022.01); H04L 41/0853 (2022.01); H04L 41/0859 (2022.01); H04L 41/12 (2022.01); H04L 43/0817 (2022.01); H04L 41/0213 (2022.01); H04L 41/0893 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 41/06 (2013.01) [H04L 41/082 (2013.01); H04L 41/0809 (2013.01); H04L 41/0853 (2013.01); H04L 41/0859 (2013.01); H04L 41/12 (2013.01); H04L 43/0817 (2013.01); H04L 41/0213 (2013.01); H04L 41/0893 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for managing a network comprising network elements that forward data flows in the network, the method comprising:
at a network controller that communicates with the network elements to control the data flows;
detecting conditions in the network;
generating flow entries that define forwarding behaviors for a set of one or more of the network elements; and
in response to the detected conditions and the generated flow entries, sending the flow entries to the set of one or more network elements in order for the set of network elements to forward data flows arriving at the network elements according to the forwarding behaviors defined by the sent flow entries, wherein each flow entry is sent with a priority level for the flow entry and an instruction to add the flow entry, and at least one flow entry is sent with instructions to delete another flow entry.