Stacking Metadata Contexts for Service Chains
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- in a network comprising a plurality of network nodes each configured to apply one or more service functions to traffic that passes through the respective network nodes, receiving at a network node packets encapsulated in a service header that includes information defining a variable set of context headers stacked into an association of metadata that is relevant to one or more service functions within a service path comprised of one or more network nodes; and
at the network node, interpreting a forwarding state and a next-hop network node for the service path from the service header, and determining a service action or associated metadata from the set of context headers.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Presented herein are techniques useful in a network comprising a plurality of network nodes each configured to apply one or more service functions to traffic that passes through the respective network nodes. A network node receives packets encapsulated in a service header that includes information defining a variable set of context headers stacked into an association of metadata that is relevant to one or more service functions within a service path comprised of one or more network nodes. The network node interprets a forwarding state and a next-hop network node for the service path from the service header, and determines a service action or associated metadata from the set of context headers.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
in a network comprising a plurality of network nodes each configured to apply one or more service functions to traffic that passes through the respective network nodes, receiving at a network node packets encapsulated in a service header that includes information defining a variable set of context headers stacked into an association of metadata that is relevant to one or more service functions within a service path comprised of one or more network nodes; and at the network node, interpreting a forwarding state and a next-hop network node for the service path from the service header, and determining a service action or associated metadata from the set of context headers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10)
-
-
8. The method of claim 8, further comprising, at the network node, transforming network traffic in accordance with metadata for a particular context header in order to support a particular service function.
-
11. An apparatus comprising:
-
a network interface unit configured to enable communications over a network, the network comprising a plurality of network nodes each configured to apply one or more service functions to traffic that passes through the respective network nodes; a memory; and a processor coupled to the network interface unit and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to; receive packets encapsulated in a service header that includes information defining a variable set of context headers stacked into an association of metadata that is relevant to one or more service functions within a service path comprised of one or more network nodes; and interpret a forwarding state and a next-hop network node for the service path from the service header, and determine a service action or associated metadata from the set of context headers. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. One or more computer readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed operable to:
-
receive, at a network node, packets encapsulated in a service header that includes information defining a variable set of context headers stacked into an association of metadata that is relevant to one or more service functions within a service path comprised of one or more network nodes; and interpret a forwarding state and a next-hop network node for the service path from the service header, and determine a service action or associated metadata from the set of context headers. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification