High-efficiency service chaining with agentless service nodes

• US 10,237,379 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kumar, Surendra M., Bagepalli, Nagaraj A., Patra, Abhijit
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Application Number:
  US15/711,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20180027101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 370392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

An example method for distributed service chaining is provided and includes receiving a packet belonging to a service chain in a distributed virtual switch (DVS) network environment, the packet includes a network service header (NSH) indicating a service path identifier identifying the service chain. The packet is provided to a virtual Ethernet module (VEM) connected to an agentless service node (SN) providing an edge service such as a server load balancer (SLB). The VEM associates a service path identifier corresponding to the service chain with a local identifier such as a virtual local area network (VLAN). The agentless SN returns the packet to the VEM for forwarding on the VLAN. Because the VLAN corresponds exactly to the service path and service chain, the packet is forwarded directly to the next node in the service chain. This can enable agentless SNs to efficiently provide a service chain for network traffic.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an in-path network packet of a service insertion architecture on a network interface;

classifying the network packet into a service chain that includes an agentless service node that is not service chain aware;

associating the service chain with a local identifier; and

forwarding the network packet to a path corresponding to the local identifier and to a service node configured to apply a service to the network packet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the local identifier is a virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein associating the service chain with a local identifier comprises associating the VLAN with a service path identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, the local identifier includes a mapping to enable the agentless service node to follow a servicing order of the service chain.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the service is an edge service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the service node is an agentless service node of the service insertion architecture.

7. A network device comprising:

a network interface; and

logic, at least partly implemented in hardware, operable to;

receive an in-path network packet of a service insertion architecture on the network interface;

classify the network packet into a service chain that includes an agentless service node that is not service chain aware;

associate the service chain with a local identifier; and

forward the network packet to a path corresponding to the local identifier and to a service node configured to apply a service to the network packet.

8. The network device method of claim 7, wherein the service chain is a service chain.

9. The network device of claim 7, wherein the local identifier is a virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier.

10. The network device of claim 9, wherein associating the service chain with a local identifier comprises associating the VLAN with a service path identifier.

11. The network device of claim 7, wherein forwarding the network packet comprises forwarding the network packet to a service node configured for providing a service to the network packet.

12. The network device of claim 11, wherein the service is an edge service.

13. The network device of claim 11, wherein the service node is an edge service node.

14. One or more tangible, non-transitory storage mediums having stored thereon logic operable for instructing a processor for:

receiving an in-path network packet of a service insertion architecture on a network interface;

classifying the network packet into a service chain that includes an agentless service node that is not service chain aware;

associating the service chain with a local identifier; and

forwarding the network packet to a path corresponding to the local identifier and to a service node configured to apply a service to the network packet.

15. The one or more tangible, non-transitory storage mediums of claim 14, wherein the service chain is a service chain.

16. The one or more tangible, non-transitory storage mediums of claim 14, wherein the local identifier is a virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier.

17. The one or more tangible, non-transitory storage mediums of claim 16, wherein associating the service chain with a local identifier comprises associating the VLAN with a service path identifier.

18. The one or more tangible, non-transitory storage mediums of claim 14, wherein forwarding the network packet to a path corresponding to the local identifier comprises forwarding the network packet to a service node configured for applying a service to the network packet.

19. The one or more tangible, non-transitory storage mediums of claim 18, wherein the service is an edge service.