MULTI-PATH AWARE TRACING AND PROBING FUNCTIONALITY AT SERVICE TOPOLOGY LAYER

US 20160134481A1
Filed: 12/31/2014
Published: 05/12/2016
Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2014
Status: Active Application

First Claim

Patent Images

1. A method comprising:

sending a first request, whereinthe first request comprisesa set of available flow labels comprising one or more available flow labels; and

receiving a first reply, whereinthe first reply comprisesinformation indicating which of the available flow labels are associated with one or more next hop nodes in a first path, whereinthe first path comprises a plurality of nodes,the plurality of nodes comprisesthe one or more next hop nodes, anda first set of service nodes configured to apply a service function chain in a service topology layer.

View all claims

1 Assignment

Timeline View

Assignment View

0 Petitions

Accused Products

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system and method are disclosed for sending a request and receiving a reply. The request contains a network service header including a flow label field and a target index field. The flow label field contains a set of available flow labels. The target index field includes a value indicating a target node. The reply contains information indicating which of the flow labels can be used to route a packet to each of the next hop nodes downstream from the device that sent the reply. This process can be repeated for other nodes on a path, and other paths in a service topology layer. The information determined by this process can be used to perform other necessary functionalities at the service topology layer.

Citations

20 Claims

1. A method comprising:
- sending a first request, whereinthe first request comprisesa set of available flow labels comprising one or more available flow labels; and
  
  receiving a first reply, whereinthe first reply comprisesinformation indicating which of the available flow labels are associated with one or more next hop nodes in a first path, whereinthe first path comprises a plurality of nodes,the plurality of nodes comprisesthe one or more next hop nodes, anda first set of service nodes configured to apply a service function chain in a service topology layer.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- - 2. The method of claim 1, whereinthe first request further comprisesa first target index, whereinthe target index indicates a target node associated with the first request,whereinthe target node is a node among the plurality of nodes.
  - 3. The method of claim 2, whereinthe first request further comprisesa network service header comprisinga flow label field comprising the set of available flow labels, anda target index field comprising the first target index.
  - 4. The method of claim 1, further comprisingdetermining whether at least one service node on the first path has not been probed,whereina plurality of service nodes comprises the at least one service node.
  - 5. The method of claim 4, further comprisingin response to determining that at least one service node on the first path has not been probed, sending one or more subsequent requests, whereineach of the subsequent requests comprisesa subset of the set of available flow labels, anda next target index indicating a next target node associated with the respective subsequent request.
  - 6. The method of claim 5, further comprisingreceiving a second reply, whereinthe second reply comprisesinformation indicating which of the available flow labels are associated with each next hop node among the plurality of nodes.
  - 7. The method of claim 5, further comprisingdetermining whether a second path has not been probed, whereinthe second path corresponds to a second set of service nodes configured to apply the service function chain in the service topology layer;
    - and

8. A system comprising:
- a node configured to;
  
  send a first request, whereinthe first request comprisesa set of available flow labels comprising one or more available flow labels; and
  
  receive a first reply, whereinthe first reply comprisesinformation indicating which of the available flow labels are associated with one or more next hop nodes in a first path, whereinthe first path comprises a plurality of nodes,the plurality of nodes comprises
  
  the one or more next hop nodes, and
  
  a first set of service nodes configured to apply a service function chain in a service topology layer.
- View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- - 9. The system of claim 8, whereinthe first request further comprisesa first target index, whereinthe target index indicates a target node associated with the first request,whereinthe target node is a node among the plurality of nodes.
  - 10. The system of claim 9, whereinthe first request further comprisesa network service header comprisinga flow label field comprising the set of available flow labels, anda target index field comprising the first target index.
  - 11. The system of claim 8, wherein the node is further configured to determine whether at least one service node on the first path has not been probed,whereina plurality of service nodes comprises the at least one service node.
  - 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the node is configured toin response to determining that at least one service node on the first path has not been probed, send one or more subsequent requests, whereineach of the subsequent requests comprisesa subset of the set of available flow labels, anda next target index indicating a next target node associated with the respective subsequent request.
  - 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the node is configured to receive a second reply, whereinthe second reply comprisesinformation indicating which of the available flow labels are associated with each next hop node among the plurality of nodes.
  - 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the node is configured todetermine whether a second path has not been probed, whereinthe second path corresponds to a second set of service nodes configured to apply the service function chain in the service topology layer;
    - and

15. A computer program product comprising:
- a plurality of instructions, comprisinga first set of instructions configured tosend a first request, whereinthe first request comprisesa set of available flow labels comprising one or more available flow labels; and
  
  a second set of instructions configured toreceive a first reply, whereinthe first reply comprisesinformation indicating which of the available flow labels are associated with one or more next hop nodes in a first path, wherein
  
  the first path comprises a plurality of nodes,
  
  the plurality of nodes comprises
  
  the one or more next hop nodes, and
  
  a first set of service nodes configured to apply a service function chain in a service topology layer; and
  
  a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the instructions are encoded in the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.
- View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- - 16. The computer program product of claim 15, whereinthe first request further comprisesa first target index, whereinthe target index indicates a target node associated with the first request,whereinthe target node is a node among the plurality of nodes.
  - 17. The computer program product of claim 16, whereinthe first request further comprisesa network service header comprisinga flow label field comprising the set of available flow labels, anda target index field comprising the first target index.
  - 18. The system of claim 15, further comprisinga second set of instructions configured todetermine whether at least one service node on the first path has not been probed, whereina plurality of service nodes comprises the at least one service node.
  - 19. The system of claim 18, further comprisinga fourth set of instructions configured tosend, in response to determining that at least one service node on the first path has not been probed, one or more subsequent requests, whereineach of the subsequent requests comprisesa subset of the set of available flow labels, anda next target index indicating a next target node associated with the respective subsequent request.
  - 20. The system of claim 19, further comprisinga fifth set of instructions configured toreceive a second reply, whereinthe second reply comprisesinformation indicating which of the available flow labels are associated with each next hop node among the plurality of nodes.

Specification

Resources

Litigation Campaign Assessment

Current Assignee
Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
Original Assignee
Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
Inventors
Akiya, Nobushige, Pignataro, Carlos M., Nainar, Nagendra Kumar, Quinn, Paul, Guichard, James

Granted Patent

US 10,263,861 B2
Time in Patent Office

Days
Field of Search
US Class Current

1/1
CPC Class Codes

H04L 41/5058 Service discovery by the se...

H04L 43/55 Testing of service level qu...

MULTI-PATH AWARE TRACING AND PROBING FUNCTIONALITY AT SERVICE TOPOLOGY LAYER

First Claim

1 Assignment

0 Petitions

Accused Products

Abstract

Citations

20 Claims

Specification

Solutions

Use Cases

Quick Links

MULTI-PATH AWARE TRACING AND PROBING FUNCTIONALITY AT SERVICE TOPOLOGY LAYER

First Claim

1 Assignment

Subscription Required

Subscription Required

0 Petitions

Subscription Required

Accused Products

Subscription Required

Abstract

Citations

20 Claims

Specification

Subscription Required

Solutions

Use Cases

Quick Links