Abstract:
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving at a network element a packet associated with a flow and determining whether a flow cache of the network element includes an entry for the flow indicating a classification for the flow. The method further includes, if the network element flow cache does not include an entry for the flow, punting the packet over a default path to a classifying service function, in which the classifying service function classifies the flow and determines a control plane service function for handling the flow, and receiving from the classifying service function a service path identifier (“SPI”) of a service path leading to the determined control plane service function. The flow is subsequently offloaded from the classifying service function to the network element.
Abstract:
A method is provided in one example embodiment and may include receiving a first Internet protocol (IP) flow for an IP session for a subscriber; selecting a first service function group from a plurality of service function groups to perform one or more services for the IP session for the subscriber, wherein each of the plurality of service function groups comprises a plurality of service function chain types and wherein each service function chain type comprises an ordered combination of one or more service functions; assigning the IP session for the subscriber to the first service function group; and forwarding the first IP flow for the IP session of the subscriber across a first service function chain type for the first service function group based, at least in part, on a service policy for the subscriber.
Abstract:
An example method for service node originated service chains in a network environment is provided and includes receiving a packet at a service node in a network environment that includes a plurality of service nodes and a central classifier, analyzing the packet for a service chain modification or a service chain initiation, classifying the packet at the service node to a new service chain based on the analysis, initiating the new service chain at the service node if the analysis indicates service chain initiation, and modifying an existing service chain for the packet to the new service chain if the analysis indicates service chain modification. In specific embodiments, the analysis includes applying classification logic specific to the service node. Some embodiments, service node attributes and order of service nodes in substantially all service chains configured in the network may be received from a central controller.
Abstract:
An example method for load balancing in a network environment is provided and includes receiving a packet from a first stage load-balancer in a network environment, where the packet is forwarded from the first stage load-balancer to one of a plurality of second stage load-balancers in the network according to a hash based forwarding scheme, and routing the packet from the second stage load-balancer to one of a plurality of servers in the network according to a per-session routing scheme. The per-session routing scheme includes retrieving a session routing state from a distributed hash table in the network. In a specific embodiment, the hash based forwarding scheme includes equal cost multi path routing. The session routing state can include an association between a next hop for the packet and the packet's 5-tuple representing a session to which the packet belongs.
Abstract:
A method is provided in one example embodiment and may include receiving a first Internet protocol (IP) flow for an IP session for a subscriber; selecting a first service function group from a plurality of service function groups to perform one or more services for the IP session for the subscriber, wherein each of the plurality of service function groups comprises a plurality of service function chain types and wherein each service function chain type comprises an ordered combination of one or more service functions; assigning the IP session for the subscriber to the first service function group; and forwarding the first IP flow for the IP session of the subscriber across a first service function chain type for the first service function group based, at least in part, on a service policy for the subscriber.
Abstract:
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes sending, by a first entity associated with an access network, a first request message including a session identifier associated with a user session to a second entity associated with a core network. The method further includes establishing a first control channel with the second entity in which the first control channel is associated with the session identifier. The first control channel is an in-band channel between the first entity and the second entity. The method further includes receiving policy information associated with the user session from the second entity using the first control channel. The policy information is indicative of one or more policies to be applied in the access network to user data associated with the user session.
Abstract:
A method provided in one embodiment includes receiving a first data packet of a data flow at a first classifier in which the first data packet includes a first identifier. The method further includes determining a second classifier associated with the first identifier in which the second classifier is further associated with at least one service chain of a service chain environment. The method still further includes forwarding the first data packet to the second classifier. The second classifier is configured to receive the first data packet, determine a particular service chain of the at least one service chain to which the first data packet is to be forwarded, and forward the first data packet to the particular service chain.
Abstract:
A method is provided in one example embodiment and may include communicating information between a plurality of network function virtualized (NFV) based applications; and creating at least one service chain using at least two of the plurality of NFV-based applications based on the information communicated between the plurality NFV based applications. In some instances, the information can be communicated using border gateway protocol (BGP) exchanges between the NFV-based applications. In some instances, the information can include at least one of: next-hop address information for one or more ingress points of a particular NFV-based application; one or more capabilities by which a particular NFV-based application can receive data on one or more ingress points; and a method by which one or more egress points of a previous NFV-based application in a particular service chain is to perform load balancing for a subsequent NFV-based application in the particular service chain.
Abstract:
An example method for service node originated service chains in a network environment is provided and includes receiving a packet at a service node in a network environment that includes a plurality of service nodes and a central classifier, analyzing the packet for a service chain modification or a service chain initiation, classifying the packet at the service node to a new service chain based on the analysis, initiating the new service chain at the service node if the analysis indicates service chain initiation, and modifying an existing service chain for the packet to the new service chain if the analysis indicates service chain modification. In specific embodiments, the analysis includes applying classification logic specific to the service node. Some embodiments, service node attributes and order of service nodes in substantially all service chains configured in the network may be received from a central controller.
Abstract:
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes sending, by a first entity associated with an access network, a first request message including a session identifier associated with a user session to a second entity associated with a core network. The method further includes establishing a first control channel with the second entity in which the first control channel is associated with the session identifier. The first control channel is an in-band channel between the first entity and the second entity. The method further includes receiving policy information associated with the user session from the second entity using the first control channel. The policy information is indicative of one or more policies to be applied in the access network to user data associated with the user session.