Method and apparatus for supporting service function chaining in a communication network

• US 10,897,419 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2017
• Issued: 01/19/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Farmanbar, Hamidreza
• Primary Examiner(s): Acolatse, Kodzovi
• Application Number:
  US15/799,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20180054384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data

Abstract

A method and apparatus supporting service function chaining in a communication network is provided. Service function chaining requires packets of a service to pass through a defined sequence of service nodes of the network. Traffic engineering support includes defining service segments, determining demands for each service segment, determining flow group conservation constraints using the determined demands, and determining a resource allocation for data links which respects the flow group conservation constraints along with a link capacity constraint. A service-based forwarding operation re-labels packets as they traverse each service segment, and forwards packets toward a destination service node of each service segment.

Claims

1. A router for routing a service packet in a multi-hop data network, the service packet belonging to a service and including an identifier of a first service segment traversed by the packet, the service corresponding to a set of service nodes through which the service packet is required to pass, the set of service nodes corresponding to a service function chain for the service, the router communicatively coupled to one of the set of service nodes and comprising:

a data packet handling interface configured to;

receive the service packet;

process the service packet to;

determine a destination service node of the set of service nodes to transmit the service packet to according to only the identifier of the first service segment and service-based forwarding information specifying resource allocation for the multi-hop data network;

re-label the service packet to include an identifier of a second service segment to be traversed by the packet upon transmission of the service packet from the router; and

transmit the service packet toward the destination service node of the set of service nodes;

a service-based forwarding function configured to;

receive the service-based forwarding information and service-based label switching information from a traffic engineering controller and re-label the service packet to include the identifier of a second service segment to be traversed by the service packet upon transmission of the service packet from the router.

2. The router of claim 1, wherein transmitting the service packet toward the destination service node comprises transmitting the service packet to an intermediate router located between the router and a next service node.

3. The router of claim 1, further comprising a network interface configured to transmit the identifier of the first service segment to the traffic engineering controller and receive the identifier of the second service segment from the traffic engineering controller.

4. The router of claim 1, wherein the data packet handing interface is further configured to determine the identifier of the second service segment according to the first service segment identifier and service-based label switching information received from the traffic engineering controller via a network interface of the router.

5. The router of claim 1, further comprising network interface configured to receive service-based forwarding information from the traffic engineering controller.

6. The router of claim 1, wherein the data packet handing interface is further configured to determine the second service identifier according to the first service segment identifier and service-based label switching information stored in the router.

7. The router of claim 1, wherein data packet handling interface is configured to re-label the service packet to include an identifier of a second service segment to be traversed by the service packet upon transmission of the service packet from the router by configuring a destination address field in a packet header of the service packet.

8. A method performed by a router for routing a service packet in a multi-hop data network comprising a set of service nodes, the service packet belonging to a service corresponding to the set of service nodes through which the service packet is required to pass, the set of service nodes corresponding to a service function chain for the service, the method comprising:

receiving the service packet including a first service segment identifier indicative of a first service segment traversed by the service packet;

processing the service packet to;

determine a destination service node of the set of service nodes to transmit the service packet to according to only service-based forwarding information specifying resource allocation for the multi-hop data network and the first service segment identifier;

re-label the service packet to include a second service segment identifier determined according to the first service segment identifier and service-based label switching information, the second service segment identifier indicative of a second service segment to be traversed by the service packet upon transmission of the service packet from the router; and

transmitting the service packet toward the destination service node of the set of service nodes;

receiving the service-based forwarding information and the service-based label switching information from a traffic engineering controller and re-label the service packet to include the identifier of a second service segment to be traversed by the service packet upon transmission of the service packet from the router.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting the service packet toward the destination service node comprises transmitting the service packet to an intermediate router located between the router and a next service node.

10. The method of claim 8, further transmitting the first service identifier to the traffic engineering controller and receive the second service identifier determined by the traffic engineering controller.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the second service identifier based on the first service identifier, according to service-based label switching information received from the traffic engineering controller via a network interface of the router.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving, via a network interface of the router, the service-based forwarding information from the traffic engineering controller.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising processing the service packet to determine the second service identifier according to the first service segment identifier and service-based label switching information.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein processing the service packet to re-label the service packet to include an identifier of a second service segment to be traversed by the service packet upon transmission of the service packet from the router comprises configuring a destination address field in a packet header of the service packet.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor of a router cause the router to route a service packet in a multi-hop data network comprising a set of service nodes by:

receiving the service packet including a first service segment identifier indicative of a first service segment traversed by the service packet;

processing the service packet to;

determine a destination service node of the set of service nodes to transmit the service packet to according to only service-based forwarding information specifying resource allocation for the multi-hop data network and the first service segment identifier, the service packet belonging to a service corresponding to the set of service nodes through which the service packet is required to pass, the set of service nodes corresponding to a service function chain for the service;

re-label the service packet to include a second service segment identifier determined according to the first service segment identifier and service-based label switching information, the second service segment identifier indicative of a second service segment to be traversed by the service packet upon transmission of the service packet from the router; and

transmitting the service packet toward the destination service node of the set of service nodes;

receiving the service-based forwarding information and the service-based label switching information from a traffic engineering controller and re-label the service packet to include the identifier of a second service segment to be traversed by the service packet upon transmission of the service packet from the router.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein transmitting the service packet toward the destination service node comprises transmitting the service packet to an intermediate router located between the router and a next service node.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further transmitting the first service identifier to the traffic engineering controller and receive the second service identifier determined by the traffic engineering controller.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second service identifier based on the first service identifier, according to service-based label switching information received from the traffic engineering controller via a network interface of the router.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising receiving, via a network interface of the router, the service-based forwarding information from the traffic engineering controller.