Stacking metadata contexts for service chains
US9178812B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 5, 2013 |
| Grant date | Nov 3, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 18, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L69/22
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
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.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.