Future Wei Technologies, Inc.

Louis Fourie

Hong Zhang

Metadata may be embedded in a service chain header (SCH) appended to a packet that is forwarded over a service chain path. The metadata may include information that is used to process the packet at a downstream service function chain (SFC) entity on the service chain path. The metadata TLV field may identify a service action to be performed by a downstream SFC entity. For example, the metadata TLV field may instruct the downstream SFC entity to drop the packet, to redirect the packet (or a traffic flow associated with the packet), to mirror a traffic flow, to terminate a communication connection, to start or stop a packet accounting, and/or to apply a higher grade of service. Alternatively, the metadata TLV field specifies an OAM service action list that identifies service actions that have been performed on the packet.

Service chain header and metadata transport

Metadata may be embedded in a service chain header (SCH) appended to a packet that is forwarded over a service chain path. The metadata may include information that is used to process the packet at a downstream service function chain (SFC) entity on the service chain path. The metadata TLV field may identify a service action to be performed by a downstream SFC entity. For example, the metadata TLV field may instruct the downstream SFC entity to drop the packet, to redirect the packet (or a traffic flow associated with the packet), to mirror a traffic flow, to terminate a communication connection, to start or stop a packet accounting, and/or to apply a higher grade of service. In another embodiment, the metadata TLV field specifies an OAM service action list that identifies service actions that have been performed on the packet.

Dynamically by-passing a service function instance on a service chain after the service function instance has processed the first few packets of a traffic flow may improve the overall processing efficiency of the service chain. When using a control plane mechanism, a service function instance communicates a by-pass indication to a control plane entity to prompt the control plane entity to re-route remaining portions of the traffic flow around the service function instance. When using a data plane mechanism, a service function instance includes a by-pass indication in a service chain header (SCH) of a packet in a traffic flow, and forwards the packet to a data plane entity. The by-pass indication will prompt the data plane entity to re-route remaining portions of the traffic flow around the service function instance.

Dynamically offloading flows from a service chain

A method for managing a chain of service appliances. A method for interoperating with a legacy service appliance which does not understand/interpret the service chain header format. The method specifies a proxy device which receives a data packet with chain header that contains a chain ID. The chain ID identifies a particular service chain of network services to be performed on the data packet by a plurality of service appliances. The method removes a chain header from the data packet. The method sends the data packet to the service appliance via a logical port that corresponds to the data packet's chain ID. The method includes receiving the data packet back from the service appliance via the logical port. Lastly, the method includes restoring the chain header in the data packet based upon the logical port through which the data packet is received.

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Pleasanton, CA, United States of America

Louis Fourie