Arista Networks, Inc.
Methods and systems for optimizing bidirectional forwarding detection in hardware

Abstract:

A method performed by a network device for offloading bidirectional forwarding detection (BFD) processes from an operating system of the network device to a physical communication interface on the network device, that includes receiving, by a user space packet manager executing in the operating system, a BFD transmission session request, making a first determination that utilization of an interface processor, of the physical communication interface, is below a threshold, generating, based on the first determination, a transmission packet template, wherein the generation is performed by the user space packet manager, sending, by the user space packet manager, the transmission packet template to the physical communication interface, and initiating, after the sending, a BFD transmission session in the physical communication interface, wherein the initiating is performed by the user space packet manager.