OPTIMIZING SERVICE NODE MONITORING IN SDN

A method implemented by a switch in a software defined networking (SDN) network to monitor a service node communicatively coupled to the switch. The method includes generating a first flow entry that matches packets received from the service node, generating a second flow entry that matches packet received from the service node, wherein the second flow entry has a priority that is lower than a priority of the first flow entry, removing the first flow entry and transmitting a flow removed message to an SDN controller in response to a determination that the first flow entry has timed out, maintaining a statistic associated with the second flow entry, and transmitting a statistics trigger event message to the SDN controller in response to a determination that the statistic associated with the second flow entry exceeds a threshold value.