Distributing service function chain data and service function instance data in a network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11277338-B2
Application number	US-201615368282-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2016
Priority date	Sep 26, 2016
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

In some examples, a computing device comprises a first service function instance to apply a service function and a service function forwarder to: receive a first layer 3 routing protocol route advertisement that includes service function instance data for a second service function instance, the service function instance data indicating a service function type and a service identifier for the service function instance; receive a second layer 3 routing protocol route advertisement that includes service function chain data for a service function chain, the service function chain data indicating a service path identifier and one or more service function items; and send, to the second service function instance and based at least on determining a service function item of the one or more service function items indicates the second service function instance, a packet classified to the service function chain.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, a first layer 3 routing protocol route advertisement that includes service function instance data for a service function instance, the service function instance data indicating a service function type and a service identifier for the service function instance;
receiving, by the computing device, a second layer 3 routing protocol route advertisement that includes service function chain data for a service function chain, the service function chain data indicating a service path identifier and one or more service function items; and
sending, by the computing device to the service function instance and based at least on determining a service function item of the one or more service function items indicates the service function instance, a packet classified to the service function chain.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a service function item of the one or more service function items indicates the service function instance comprises:
determining, by the computing device, the service function item of the one or more service function items indicates the service function type and the service identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the service function item of the one or more service function items indicates the service function type and the service identifier, and
wherein the service identifier indicates any service function instance of a plurality of service function instances that applies the service function indicated by the service function type is a suitable service function instance.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each service function item of the one or more service function items includes a service index that indicates a location for the service function item in an order of the service function chain, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the computing device, the packet encapsulated with a network service header that includes a service path identifier and a service index,
wherein determining the service function item of the one or more service function items indicates the service function instance comprises, by the computing device, matching the service path identifier of the network service header and the service path identifier of the service function chain data and matching the service index of the network service header and the service index of the service function item.

5. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the service function instance comprises a first service function instance,
wherein the service function instance data comprises first service function instance data, the method further comprising:
outputting, by the computing device, a third layer 3 routing protocol route advertisement protocol route advertisement that includes second service function instance data for a second service function instance hosted by the computing device to apply a service function, the second service function instance data indicating a service function type and a service identifier for the second service function instance.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a second service function item of the one or more service function items indicates the second service function instance hosted by the computing device, the method further comprising:
applying, by the computing device, the service function to the packet.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first layer 3 routing protocol route advertisement protocol route advertisement comprises a Border Gateway Protocol UPDATE message that includes a service function chaining Network Layer Reachability Information that indicates the service function type and the service identifier.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the service identifier comprises a Route Distinguisher.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the Border Gateway Protocol UPDATE message comprises an encapsulation attribute that includes a network address for a computing device that hosts the service function instance, the method further comprising:
encapsulating, by the computing device based on the encapsulation attribute, the packet with a tunnel encapsulation header that includes the network address for the computing device to generate a tunnel packet; and
sending, by the computing device to the computing device that hosts the service function instance, the tunnel packet.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second layer 3 routing protocol route advertisement comprises a Border Gateway Protocol UPDATE message that includes a service function chaining Network Layer Reachability Information that includes the service function chain data.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the Border Gateway Protocol UPDATE message comprises a service function chain BGP Path attribute that includes the one or more service function items.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service function chain data includes a correlator that indicates the service function chain and another service function chain are to process a packet flow and a reverse packet flow for the packet flow, respectively.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending comprises:
encapsulating, by the computing device, the packet with a network service header that includes the service index and the service path identifier; and sending the packet with the network service header.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first layer 3 routing protocol route advertisement and second layer 3 routing protocol route advertisement are each associated with a route target, the method further comprising:
importing, by the computing device in response to determining the computing device is configured to import the route target, the service function instance data and the service function chain data.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packet comprises a first packet, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the computing device, a second packet encapsulated with a network service header that includes the service path identifier and a service index for the service chain;
branching, by the computing device, the second packet to a new service function chain by encapsulating the packet with a new network service header that indicates a service path identifier for the new service function chain.

16. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the packet comprises a first packet,
wherein the service function instance comprises a first service function instance, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the computing device, a second packet encapsulated with a network service header that includes the service path identifier and a service index for the service chain;
looping or jumping, by the computing device, the second packet to a second service function instance by selecting a new service index for the packet that is other than a next service index after the service index in the service function chain.

17. A computing device comprising:
one or more processors operably coupled to a memory;
a first service function instance configured for execution by the one or more processors to apply a service function;
a service function forwarder configured for execution by the one or more processors to:
receive a first layer 3 routing protocol route advertisement that includes service function instance data for a second service function instance, the service function instance data indicating a service function type and a service identifier for the service function instance;
receive a second layer 3 routing protocol route advertisement that includes service function chain data for a service function chain, the service function

Assignees

• Juniper Networks Inc

Inventors

• Drake John E
• Rosen Eric C
• Mackie William Stuart
• Farrel Adrian

Classifications

• H04L45/74 Primary

  Address processing for routing · CPC title

• H04L45/033

  by updating distance vector protocols · CPC title

• H04L45/306 Primary

  Route determination based on the nature of the carried application · CPC title

• H04L67/63

  Routing a service request depending on the request content or context · CPC title

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title