Metadata augmentation in a service function chain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016248685-A1
Application number	US-201514631595-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 25, 2015
Priority date	Feb 25, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for augmenting metadata of a network service header is disclosed. The method includes receiving, at a first service node, a packet or frame of a traffic flow, wherein the packet has a payload and the network service header including a first metadata and a first service path information for the traffic flow, classifying, by the first service node, at least one of the payload and the first metadata to generate a second metadata different from the first metadata, and augmenting, by the first service node, the first metadata using the second metadata before forwarding the packet or frame to a second service node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for augmenting metadata of a network service header, the method comprising:
receiving, at a first service node, a packet or frame of a traffic flow, wherein the packet has a payload and the network service header including a first metadata and a first service path information for the traffic flow; classifying, by the first service node, at least one of the payload and the first metadata to generate a second metadata different from the first metadata; and augmenting, by the first service node, the first metadata using the second metadata before forwarding the packet or frame to a second service node.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein augmenting the first metadata comprises appending the second metadata to the first metadata of the network service header or adding the second metadata to the network service header.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein augmenting the first metadata comprises replacing the first metadata of the network service header with the second metadata.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network service header including the first metadata and the first service path information is a result of an initial classification of the packet or frame performed by an initial service classifier, and the classification performed by the first service node is different from the initial classification.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the initial service classifier is not capable of performing the classification performed by the first service node.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the second metadata corrects an error of the first metadata.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the second metadata refines the initial classification with additional information about the packet or frame of the traffic flow.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second service node applies a policy on the packet or frame of the traffic flow based on the second metadata.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein augmenting the first metadata using the second metadata comprises:
generating a different network service header having the second metadata; and encapsulating the packet or frame of the traffic flow with the different network service header.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a second service path information different from the first service path information in response to generating the second metadata; and replacing the network service header with a different network service header having the second metadata and the second service path information.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein semantics of the second metadata of the network service header is shared via a control plane of the first service node and the second service node.

12 . A service node in a service function path for augmenting metadata of a network service header, the service node comprising:
at least one memory element having instructions stored thereon; at least one processors coupled to the at least one memory element and configured to execute the instructions to cause the service node to:
receive a packet or frame of a traffic flow, wherein the packet has a payload and the network service header including a first metadata and a first service path information for the traffic flow;
classify, by the first service node, at least one of the payload and the first metadata to generate a second metadata different from the first metadata; and
augment, by the first service node, the first metadata using the second metadata before forwarding the packet or frame to a second service node.

13 . The service node of claim 12 , wherein augmenting the first metadata comprises appending the second metadata to the first metadata of the network service header or adding the second metadata to the network service header.

14 . The service node of claim 12 , wherein augmenting the first metadata comprises replacing the first metadata of the network service header with the second metadata.

15 . The service node of claim 12 , wherein augmenting the first metadata using the second metadata comprises:
generating a different network service header having the second metadata; and encapsulating the packet or frame of the traffic flow with the different network service header.

16 . The service node of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the service node to:
generate a second service path information different from the first service path information in response to generating the second metadata; and replace the network service header with a different network service header having the second metadata and the second service path information.

17 . A computer-readable non-transitory medium comprising one or more instructions for augmenting metadata of a network service header, that when executed on a processor configure the processor to:
receive, by a first service node a packet or frame of a traffic flow, wherein the packet has a payload and the network service header including a first metadata and a first service path information for the traffic flow; classify, by the first service node, at least one of the payload and the first metadata to generate a second metadata different from the first metadata; and augment, by the first service node, the first metadata using the second metadata before forwarding the packet or frame to a second service node.

18 . The computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 17 , wherein the second metadata corrects an error of the first metadata.

19 . The computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 17 , wherein the second metadata refines the initial classification with additional information about the packet or frame of the traffic flow.

20 . The computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 17 , wherein semantics of the second metadata of the network service header is shared via a control plane of the first service node and the second service node.

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Pignataro Carlos M
• Guichard James N
• Nainar Nagendra Kumar
• Quinn Paul

Classifications

• H04L47/18

  End to end · CPC title

• H04L69/22

  Parsing or analysis of headers · CPC title

• H04L47/2441 Primary

  relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ] · CPC title

• H04L45/74

  Address processing for routing · CPC title

• H04L67/63

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