A network device includes a processor that executes a software module above an operating system of a network device, wherein the software module is configured to create a set of forwarding structures for use in forwarding network traffic with the network device without regard to limitations of an underlying architecture of the forwarding plane. The network device also includes a forwarding structure control module operative within or below the operating system of the network device, wherein the forwarding structure control module is configured to create a set of derived forwarding structures based on the set of forwarding structures provided by the software module for installation in the forwarding information of the forwarding plane. The derived set of forwarding structures is created in accordance with the limitations of the underlying architecture of the forwarding plane.