INTER-DOMAIN SERVICE FUNCTION CHAINING

• US 20160165014A1
• Filed: 12/04/2014
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nainar, Nagendra Kumar, Pignataro, Carlos M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,531,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a packet in a service function chain at a network device located at a border of a first administrative domain, the packet comprising a service function path identifier and a service index, processing the packet at the network device, wherein processing comprises modifying the packet based on the service function path identifier and the service index to direct the packet to a second administrative domain, and forwarding the packet from the network device to the second administrative domain for processing in the service function chain. The service function chain extends over the first and second administrative domains. An apparatus and logic are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a packet in a service function chain at a network device located at a border of a first administrative domain, the packet comprising a service function path identifier and a service index;

processing the packet at the network device, wherein processing comprises modifying the packet based on said service function path identifier and said service index to direct the packet to a second administrative domain; and

forwarding the packet from the network device to said second administrative domain for processing in said service function chain;

wherein said service function chain extends over said first and second administrative domains.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein modifying the packet comprises rewriting a header in the packet.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein rewriting the header comprises rewriting said service function path identifier.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the header comprises a network service header comprising said service function path identifier and said service index.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein modifying the packet comprises increasing said service index.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving at the network device, a packet from said second administrative domain and forwarding the packet on said service chain in said first administrative domain.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said service chain comprises a first service function path defined within said first administrative domain and a second service function path defined within said second administrative domain.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the network device is programmed by a controller in said first administrative domain to rewrite said service function path identifier based on said service index.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the network device comprises a border router in communication with a service node in said first administrative domain and a border router in said second administrative domain.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a processor for processing a packet received in a service function chain at a border of a first administrative domain, the packet comprising a service function path identifier and a service index, modifying the packet based on said service function path identifier and said service index, and forwarding the packet to a second administrative domain; and

memory for storing instructions for modifying the packet based on said service function path identifier and said service index;

wherein the service function chain extends over said first and second administrative domains.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein modifying the packet comprises rewriting a header in the packet.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein rewriting the header comprises rewriting said service function path identifier.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the header comprises a network service header comprising said service function path identifier and said service index.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein modifying the packet comprises increasing said service index.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processor is further operable to process a packet received from said second administrative domain and forward the packet on the service chain in said first administrative domain.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the service chain comprises a first service function path defined within said first administrative domain and a second service function path defined within said second administrative domain.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said instructions are received from a controller in said first administrative domain to rewrite said service function path identifier based on said service index.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the apparatus comprises a border router operable for communication with a service node in said first administrative domain and a border router in said second administrative domain.

19. Logic encoded on one or more non-transitory computer readable media for execution and when executed operable to:

process a packet received in a service function chain at a border of a first administrative domain, the packet comprising a service function path identifier and a service index;

modify the packet based on said service function path identifier and said service index; and

forward the packet to a second administrative domain for processing of the packet in said service function chain;

wherein the service function chain extends over said first and second administrative domains.

20. The logic of claim 19 wherein said logic to modify the packet comprises logic operable to rewrite a header in the packet.