Sketch Table for Local Traffic Profiling in Network Nodes

The patent segments the forwarding behavior into two categories: common behavior handled by the centralized SDN controller and exception behavior handled locally by the network node's state machine. This segmentation allows most operations to be managed centrally while enabling rapid local response to exceptions, thus maintaining programmability without incurring centralized latency for every modification.

The patent pre-configures exception handling rules and state machine logic in the network node before deployment. When exceptional conditions occur, the node can immediately execute pre-programmed responses without waiting for centralized controller instructions, thereby eliminating the latency that would otherwise be incurred for every forwarding behavior modification.

The patent merges multiple separate counting mechanisms into a single unified sketch table data structure that can handle different packet rates simultaneously. Instead of maintaining separate flow tables for high-rate and low-rate packets, the sketch table uses a unified structure with shared memory sections that dynamically adapts to different traffic patterns, thereby reducing device complexity while preserving measurement precision.

The sketch table is designed as a universal data structure that can serve multiple functions: counting high-rate packet flows, counting low-rate packet flows, and providing cache-aligned memory access patterns. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate specialized data structures, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining accurate measurement capabilities across different traffic scenarios.