Method and apparatus for service function forwarding in a service domain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017237656-A1
Application number	US-201715428748-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 9, 2017
Priority date	Feb 12, 2016
Publication date	Aug 17, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Solutions to packet forwarding along a service function path (SFP) by using packet-based transport are provided, where the destination address field in the transport tunnel packet header designates the SFP and the source address field contains the service context. Forwarding of packet flows in different SFPs is simplified by using conventional packet routing and forwarding mechanisms and commercial off-the-shelf routers and switches. For example, route aggregation, load balancing, equal cost multipath routing, and fast path restoration can be applied to service function paths.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for forwarding a packet along a service function path, the method comprising, by a network node:
receiving the packet having a header which comprises a destination address field; and forwarding the packet to one of a service node associated with the network node and a subsequent network node in the service function path in accordance with a service path descriptor carried within the destination address field.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising analyzing the destination address field to make a determination that the destination address field includes the service path descriptor, wherein said forwarding of the packet is performed in response to the determination.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying the value of the destination address field in the header to indicate a next service function in the service function path which is to receive the packet; and forwarding the packet towards the next service function.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the received packet further comprises a payload, the payload comprising a data packet encapsulated therein, the method further comprising processing the encapsulated data packet according to a service function associated with the network node device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the header of the received packet further comprises a source address field comprising service context information in place of a network source address.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the service context information comprises one or more of: a context group indicative of structure and content of service context information included in the packet; a context type indicative of content of the packet; and service context information usable by one or more service functions along the service function path for processing the packet.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the packet is one of an IPv4 packet, an IPv6 packet, and an Ethernet frame.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the destination address field includes one or more of: an indicator that the header of the packet includes the service path descriptor; an indicator that the packet is to be routed along the service function path; a service function index indicative of which of one or more service functions along the service function path is to receive the packet next, the service function index being updatable by the one or more network nodes; and auxiliary context usable by the one or more network nodes along the service function path.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the service path descriptor includes an indicator that the packet is to be routed in a reverse direction along the service function path.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the auxiliary context is usable by the one or more network nodes along the service function path to identify which of one or more service functions along the service function path is to receive the packet next.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting a received second packet towards a destination address determined in accordance with a destination address field of a header associated with the second packet, upon determining that the header associated with the second packet does not include the service path descriptor.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the packet includes a data packet encapsulated therein, the method further comprising decapsulating the encapsulated data packet by removing the header, and forwarding the decapsulated data packet towards a destination address determined in accordance with information in the header of the decapsulated data packet.

13 . An apparatus for use within a service domain, the apparatus comprising:
a network interface for receiving and transmitting packets; a processor; and a memory device storing instructions that, when executed by the processor cause the apparatus, in response to receipt of a packet via the network interface, the packet having a header which comprises a destination address field, to:
forward the received packet to one of a service node associated with the network node and a subsequent network node in the service function path in accordance with a service path descriptor carried within the destination address field.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the apparatus to analyze the destination address field to make a determination that the destination address field includes the service path descriptor, wherein said forwarding of the packet is performed in response to the determination.

15 . The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising changing the value of the destination address field in the header to indicate a next service function in the service function path which is to receive the packet; and transmitting the packet, over the network interface towards the next service function.

16 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the received packet further comprises a payload, the payload comprising a data packet encapsulated therein, and wherein upon said forwarding, the encapsulated data packet is processed according to a service function associated with the service node or the subsequent network node.

17 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the header of the received packet further comprises a source address field comprising service context information in place of a network source address.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the service context information comprises one or more of: a context group indicative of structure and content of service context information included in the packet; a context type indicative of content of the packet; and service context information usable by one or more service functions along the service function path for processing the packet.

19 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the packet is one of an IPv4 packet, an IPv6 packet, and an Ethernet frame.

20 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the destination address field includes one or more of: an indicator that the header of the packet includes the service path descriptor; an indicator that the packet is to be routed along the service function path; a service function index indicative of which of one or more service functions along the service function path is to receive the packet next, the service function index being updatable by the one or more network nodes; and auxiliary context usable by the one or more network nodes along the service function path.

21 . The apparatus of claim 13 , further configured to transmit a received second packet towards a destination address determined in accordance with a destination address field of a header associated with the second packet, upon determining that the header associated with the second packet does not include the service path descriptor.

22 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the packet includes a data packet encapsulated therein, the apparatus further configured to decapsulate the encapsulated data packet by removing the header, and forwarding the decapsulated data packet towards a destination address determined in accordance with information in the header of the decapsulated data packet.

23 . A method for processing and forwarding data packets at an ingress network node device in a packet data network, the method comprising, by the network node device:
receiving a data packet; in response to a determination that the received data packet is to be forwarded al

Assignees

• Gage William Anthony
• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Gage William Anthony

Classifications

• H04L61/2521 Primary

  Translation architectures other than single NAT servers · CPC title

• H04L45/74 Primary

  Address processing for routing · CPC title

• H04L61/2503

  Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses · CPC title

• H04L45/306

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

• H04L61/2007

  Electricity · mapped topic