Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130336315 | ALLOCATING AND DISTRIBUTING LABELS FOR PACKET ENCAPSULATION - In one example, a network device receives a packet to be forwarded according to a label switching protocol, determines a service to be performed on the packet by a service network device, sends a label request message to the service network device, wherein the label request message indicates support for labels having a particular length, wherein the particular length is larger than twenty bits (e.g., forty bits), and wherein the label request message specifies the service to be performed on the packet, receives, in response to the label request message, a label mapping message defining a label of the particular length, appends the label to the packet to form a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS)-encapsulated packet, and forwards the MPLS-encapsulated packet according to the label switching protocol. | 12-19-2013 |
20130343174 | SERVICE PLANE TRIGGERED FAST REROUTE PROTECTION - Techniques are described for detecting failure or degradation of a service enabling technology function independent from an operational state of a service node hosting the service enabling technology function. For example, a service node may provide one or more service enabling technology functions, and service engineered paths may be traffic-engineered through a network to service node network devices that host a service enabling technology function. A monitor component at the service layer of the service node can detect failure or degradation of one or more service enabling technology functions provided by the service node. The monitor component reports detection of failure or degradation to a fault detection network protocol in a forwarding plane of the service node. The fault detection network protocol communicates with an ingress router of a service engineered path to trigger fast reroute by the ingress of traffic flows to bypass the affected service enabling technology function. | 12-26-2013 |
20140003232 | FEEDBACK LOOP FOR SERVICE ENGINEERED PATHS | 01-02-2014 |
20140334295 | Symmetric Service Chain Binding - A plurality of network nodes are deployed in a network, each network node configured to apply a service function to traffic that passes through the respective network nodes. A controller generates information for a service chain that involves application to traffic of one or more service functions at corresponding ones of the plurality of network nodes along a forward path through the one or more network nodes. The controller identifies one or more of the service functions within the service chain that is stateful. When one or more of the service functions of the service chain is stateful, the controller generates information for a reverse path through the one or more service nodes for the one or more stateful service functions. The controller binds a forward chain identifier for the forward path with a reverse chain identifier for the reverse path for the service chain. | 11-13-2014 |
20140334488 | Data Plane Learning of Bi-Directional Service Chains - Techniques are provided to decouple service chain structure from the underlying network forwarding state and allow for data plane learning of service chain forwarding requirements and any association between services function state requirements and the forward and reverse forwarding paths for a service chain. In a network comprising a plurality of network nodes each configured to apply a service function to traffic that passes through the respective network node, a packet is received at a network node. When the network node determines that the service function it applies is stateful, it updates context information in a network service header of the packet to indicate that the service function applied at the network node is stateful and that traffic for a reverse path matching the classification criteria is to be returned to the network node. | 11-13-2014 |
20140351452 | Chaining Service Zones by way of Route Re-Origination - Presented herein are techniques for use in a network environment that includes one or more service zones, each service zone including at least one instance of an in-line application service to be applied to network traffic and one or more routers to direct network traffic to the at least one service, and a route target being assigned to a unique service zone to serve as a community value for route import and export between routers of other service zones, destination networks or source networks via a control protocol. An edge router in each service zone or destination network advertises routes by its destination network prefix tagged with its route target. A service chain is created by importing and exporting of destination network prefixes by way of route targets at edge routers of the service zones or source networks. | 11-27-2014 |
20140362682 | Determining the Operations Performed Along a Service Path/Service Chain - Presented herein are techniques performed in a network comprising a plurality of network nodes each configured to apply one or more service functions to traffic that passes the respective network nodes in a service path. At a network node, an indication is received of a failure or degradation of one or more service functions or applications applied to traffic at the network node. Data descriptive of the failure or degradation is generated. A previous service hop network node at which a service function or application was applied to traffic in the service path is determined. The data descriptive of the failure or degradation is communicated to the previous service hop network node. | 12-11-2014 |
20140362857 | Stacking Metadata Contexts for Service Chains - 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. | 12-11-2014 |
20150026362 | Dynamic Service Path Creation - Presented herein are techniques for dynamic creation of a unique service path for a service chain. In one example, a service controller and a plurality of service nodes are provided, each service node configured to apply a service function to traffic that passes through the respective service node. The service controller defines a service chain identifying a set of service functions and an order in which they are applied. The service controller receives an indication that the service chain has been instantiated at a classifier, and creates a unique service path for the service chain, wherein the unique service path includes the service chain and the classifier at which the service chain is instantiated. | 01-22-2015 |