Scalable network slice based queuing using segment routing flexible algorithm

• US 10,601,724 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2018
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Filsfils, Clarence, Ali, Zafar, Garvia, Pablo Camarillo, Clad, Francois
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain, Raj
• Application Number:
  US16/178,418
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/34 Source routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6295 using multiple queues, one for each individual QoS, connection, flow or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers

Abstract

The present technology is directed to a system and method for implementing network resource partitioning and Quality of Service (QoS) separation through network slicing. Embodiments of the present invention describe scalable network slicing method based on defining Segment Routing Flexible Algorithm to represent a network slice and assigning a distinct QoS policy queue to each of the Flexible Algorithms configured on a network node. Therefore, scalable network slice based queuing is implemented wherein a single packet processing queue is assigned to each Flex-Algorithm based network slice. QoS policy queue may be implemented in a hierarchical fashion by differentiation between flow packets in a single QoS policy queue based on value of experimental bits in the header.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for implementing scalable network slice based queuing, the method comprising:

associating one or more Quality of Service (QoS) policy queues with one or more Segment Routing Algorithms configured on a network node, each of the one or more QoS policy queues assigned to one or more Segment Routing Algorithms;

assigning flow packets associated with each of the one or more Segment Routing Algorithms to a corresponding one of the one or more the QoS policy queues; and

pointing one or more forwarding entries specific to each of the one or more Segment Routing Algorithms towards an associated one of the one or more QoS policy queues,

wherein each of the one or more QoS policy queues include one or more bit-based sub queues and are implemented hierarchically to enable differentiation of the flow packets associated with each of the one or more QoS policy queues based on experimental bit values.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more Segment Routing Algorithms comprises at least one operator defined Flexible Algorithm.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the pointing all of one or more forwarding entries is implemented in a similar fashion as Quality of Service propagation with Border Gate way Protocol.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein a depth of the one or more QoS policy queue is monitored by one or more controller entities.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the one or more controller are configured to provide notifications regarding a network slice based on the depth of the associated QoS policy queue.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the one or more controller entities comprise one or more path computation elements.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the one or more QoS policy queues are provisioned on one or more network nodes configured for the one or more Segment Routing Algorithms.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein each of the one or more Segment Routing Algorithms correspond to a different network slice with specific performance characteristics.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the one or more QoS policy queues corresponding to the one or more Segment Routing Algorithms are provisioned on one or more edge routers.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

associate one or more QoS policy queues to one or more Segment Routing Algorithms enabled on network node;

assign flow packets associated with each of the one or more Segment Routing Algorithms to a corresponding one of the one or more QoS policy queues; and

point all of one or more forwarding entries associated with a same Segment Routing Algorithm towards an associated one of the one or more QoS policy queues,

wherein the one or more QoS policy queues include one or more bit-based sub queues and are implemented hierarchically to enable differentiation of the flow packets associated with each of the one or more QoS policy queues based on experimental bit values.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more Segment Routing Algorithms comprise operator defined Flexible Algorithms.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein pointing of the one or more forwarding entries is implemented in a similar fashion as Quality of Service propagation with Border Gate way Protocol.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein a depth of the one or more QoS policy queues is monitored by one or more controller entities.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more controller are configured to provide notifications regarding a network slice, based on the depth of the associated QoS policy queue.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more controller entities comprise one or more path computation elements.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more QoS policy queues are provisioned on one or more network nodes configured for the one or more Segment Routing Algorithms.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein each of the one or more Segment Routing Algorithms correspond to a different network slice with specific performance characteristics.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more QoS policy queues corresponding to the one or more Segment Routing Algorithms are provisioned on one or more edge routers.