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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11706138-B2
Application number	US-202117527864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2021
Priority date	Sep 26, 2016
Publication date	Jul 18, 2023
Grant date	Jul 18, 2023

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 and according to a layer 3 routing protocol, a service function instance 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 that uniquely identifies the service function instance among service function instances of the service function type;
receiving, by the computing device and according to the layer 3 routing protocol, a service function chain 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 that 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 , further comprising:
determining, by the computing device, that the service function item of the one or more service function items indicated by the service function chain data of the service function chain route advertisement indicates the service function type; and
identifying, by the computing device and based on the determination that the service function item of the one or more service function items indicates the service function type and the service identifier indicated by the service function instance data of the service function instance route advertisement, the service function instance among the service function instances of the service function type,
wherein sending, to the service function instance, the packet comprises sending, to the identified service function instance, the packet.

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

4. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the service function instance comprises a first service function instance,
wherein the service function instance route advertisement that includes the service function instance data comprises a first service function instance route advertisement that includes first service function instance data for the first service function instance, and
wherein the method further comprises outputting, by the computing device and according to the layer 3 routing protocol, a second service function instance 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 second service function type and a second service identifier that uniquely identifies the second service function instance from other service function instances of the second service function type.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining, by the computing device, that a second service function item of the one or more service function items indicated by the service function chain data of the service function chain route advertisement indicates the second service function type;
identifying, by the computing device and based on the determination that the second service function item of the one or more service function items indicates the second service function type and the second service identifier indicated by the second service function instance data of the second service function instance route advertisement, the second service function instance hosted by the computing device among the service function instances of the second service function type; and
applying, by the computing device, the service function to the packet.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service function instance route advertisement comprises a first Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) UPDATE message that includes a service function chaining Network Layer Reachability Information (NLRI) that indicates the service function type and the service identifier.

7. The method of claim 6 ,
wherein the computing device comprises a first computing device, and
wherein the first BGP UPDATE message comprises an encapsulation attribute that includes a network address for a second computing device that hosts the service function instance, and
wherein the method further comprises:
encapsulating, by the first computing device based on the encapsulation attribute, the packet with a tunnel encapsulation header that includes the network address for the second computing device to generate a tunnel packet; and
sending, by the first computing device and to the second computing device that hosts the service function instance, the tunnel packet.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the service function chain route advertisement comprises a second BGP UPDATE message that includes a service function chaining NLRI that includes the service path identifier and the one or more service function items.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service identifier comprises a route distinguisher.

10. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the service function chain comprises a first service function chain, and
wherein the service function chain data further includes a correlator that indicates that the first service function chain and a second service function chain are to process a packet flow and a reverse packet flow for the packet flow, respectively.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the packet classified to the service function chain comprises:
encapsulating, by the computing device, the packet with a network service header that includes a service index that indicates a location for the service function item in an order of the service function chain and the service path identifier; and
sending the packet with the network service header.

12. A computing system comprising:
one or more processors operably coupled to a memory;
a service function instance configured for execution by the one or more processors to apply a service function; and
a service function forwarder configured for execution by the one or more processors to:
receive, according to a layer 3 routing protocol, a service function instance route advertisement that includes service function instance data for the service function instance, the service function instance data indicating a service function type and a service identifier that uniquely identifies the service function instance among service function instances of the service function type;
receive, according to the layer 3 routing protocol, a service function chain route advertisement that includes servic

Assignees

• Juniper Networks Inc

Inventors

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

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

• H04L45/00

  Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks (routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00) · CPC title

• H04L45/38

  Flow based routing · CPC title