Slice-based routing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11588733-B2
Application number	US-201916411923-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2019
Priority date	May 14, 2019
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

In a slice-based network, switches can be programmed to perform routing functions based on a slice identifier. The switch can receive a packet and determine a slice identifier for the packet based on packet header information. The switch can use the slice identifier to determine a next hop. Using the slice identifier with a multi-path table, the switch can select an egress interface for sending the packet to the next hop. The multi-path table can ensure that traffic for a slice stays on the same interface link to the next hop, even when a link aggregation group (“LAG”) is used for creation of a virtual channel across multiple interfaces or ports.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for slice-based routing, comprising:
receiving a first packet at a switch;
determining, at the switch, a slice identifier for the first packet based on header information of the first packet, wherein the slice identifier uniquely identifies a slice from a plurality of slices in a virtual service network (“VSN”), wherein the plurality of slices represent different virtual networks on a shared physical network infrastructure;
determining, at the switch, a next hop for the first packet;
selecting an egress interface from a plurality of interfaces based on the slice identifier,
wherein the slice identifier is used to create a hash, and the hash is used to select the egress interface; and

sending the first packet from the egress interface to the next hop.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a different next hop for a second packet, wherein the first and second packets include a same destination address but have different slice identifiers.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the slice identifier includes looking up the slice identifier at the switch based on a destination machine address control (“MAC”) address, destination internet protocol (“IP”) address, and destination port.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether a multi-path table exists for sending traffic to the next hop, the multi-path table including multiple links for sending traffic to the next hop; and
when the multi-path table exists, selecting the egress interface from the multi-path table based on the hash created using the slice identifier.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the multi-path table is a Layer 3 equal-cost multi-path (“ECMP”) table.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising grouping the plurality of interfaces together in a link aggregation group (“LAG”), wherein the egress interface within the LAG is selected based on the hash created using the slice identifier, and
wherein selection of the egress interface within the LAG changes based on a new slice path being implemented for the slice identifier.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising load balancing the plurality of interfaces to retain additional bandwidth at the egress interface based on the slice identifier being assigned to the egress interface.

8. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform stages for slice-based routing, the stages comprising:
receiving a first packet at a switch;
determining, at the switch, a slice identifier for the first packet based on header information of the first packet, wherein the slice identifier uniquely identifies a slice from a plurality of slices in a virtual service network (“VSN”), wherein the plurality of slices represent different virtual networks on a shared physical network infrastructure;
determining, at the switch, a next hop for the first packet;
selecting an egress interface from a plurality of interfaces based on the slice identifier,
wherein the slice identifier is used to create a hash, and the hash is used to select the egress interface; and

sending the first packet from the egress interface to the next hop.

9. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , the stages further comprising determining a different next hop for a second packet, wherein the first and second packets include a same destination address but have different slice identifiers.

10. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein determining the slice identifier includes looking up the slice identifier at the switch based on a destination machine address control (“MAC”) address, destination internet protocol (“IP”) address, and destination port.

11. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , the stages further comprising:
determining whether a multi-path table exists for sending traffic to the next hop, the multi-path table including multiple links for sending traffic to the next hop; and
when the multi-path table exists, selecting the egress interface from the multi-path table based on the hash created using the slice identifier.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the multi-path table is a Layer 3 equal-cost multi-path (“ECMP”) table.

13. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , the stages further comprising grouping the plurality of interfaces together in a link aggregation group (“LAG”), wherein the egress interface within the LAG is selected based on the hash created using the slice identifier, and wherein selection of the egress interface within the LAG changes based on a new slice path being implemented for the slice identifier.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , further comprising load balancing the plurality of interfaces to retain additional bandwidth at the egress interface based on the slice identifier being assigned to the egress interface.

15. A system for slice-based routing, comprising:
a non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions; and
a processor that executes the monitoring module to perform stages comprising:
receiving a first packet at a switch;
determining, at the switch, a slice identifier for the first packet based on header information of the first packet, wherein the slice identifier uniquely identifies a slice from a plurality of slices in a virtual service network (“VSN”), wherein the plurality of slices represent different virtual networks on a shared physical network infrastructure;
determining, at the switch, a next hop for the first packet;
selecting an egress interface from a plurality of interfaces based on the slice identifier,
wherein the slice identifier is used to create a hash, and the hash is used to select the egress interface; and

sending the first packet from the egress interface to the next hop.

16. The system of claim 15 , the stages further comprising determining a different next hop for a second packet, wherein the first and second packets include a same destination address but have different slice identifiers.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein determining the slice identifier includes looking up the slice identifier at the switch based on a destination machine address control (“MAC”) address, destination internet protocol (“IP”) address, and destination port.

18. The system of claim 15 , the stages further comprising:
determining whether a multi-path table exists for sending traffic to the next hop, the multi-path table including multiple links for sending traffic to the next hop; and
when the multi-path table exists, selecting the egress interface from the multi-path table based on the hash created using the slice identifier.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the multi-path table is a Layer 3 equal-cost multi-path (“ECMP”) table.

20. The system of claim 19 , the stages further comprising grouping the plurality of interfaces together in a link aggregation group (“LAG”), wherein the egress interface within the LAG is selected based on the hash created using the slice identifier, and wherein selection of the egress interface within the LAG changes based on a new slice path being implemented for the slice identifier.

Assignees

• Vmware Inc

Inventors

• Kommula Raja
• Tidemann Jeremy
• Polychronopoulos Constantine
• Bordeleau Marc Andre
• Choh Edward
• Gupta Ojas
• Kidd Robert
• Oikonomou Georgios

Classifications

• H04L45/745

  Address table lookup; Address filtering · CPC title

• H04L45/7453 Primary

  using hashing · CPC title

• H04W48/18 Primary

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title

• H04L45/306

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

• H04L45/20

  Hop count for routing purposes, e.g. TTL · CPC title