Batch Service Chaining Metadata for Faster Packet Processing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing method of modifying metadata for each packet in network service chaining leads to significant cache invalidation, increasing latency and reducing the overall speed of packet processing.

Innovation Solution

Grouping packets based on common characteristics and managing metadata for a batch of packets, minimizing cache invalidation by processing subsets of packets as a whole, and optimizing metadata handling through techniques like null preamble packets or piggybacking metadata in packet buffers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If metadata is modified for each packet in network service chaining, then dynamic service chain management is enabled, but cache invalidation frequency increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedynamic service chain managementVSAvoidcache invalidation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple packets into a batch and applies metadata modifications to the entire batch simultaneously rather than individually. This combining approach reduces the frequency of cache invalidation events while preserving the ability to dynamically manage service chains through batch-oriented metadata updates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary grouping of packets into batches before metadata modification occurs. By organizing packets into batches in advance, the system prepares for consolidated metadata updates that will trigger cache invalidation less frequently, thereby reducing time loss while maintaining service chain adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If metadata is modified for each packet, then packet-specific service routing is achieved, but packet processing speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket-specific service routingVSAvoidpacket processing speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple packets into batches and processes them together with unified metadata modifications. This merging strategy maintains packet-specific routing capabilities through batch metadata while significantly improving processing speed by reducing the overhead of individual packet handling and cache invalidation events.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements periodic batch processing of packets rather than continuous individual processing. By organizing packet handling into periodic batches, the system achieves efficient resource utilization and maintains routing adaptability while improving overall processing throughput through consolidated operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Adaptability or versatility

If resources are loaded and unloaded from cache for each metadata change, then dynamic service function implementation is enabled, but latency increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedynamic service function implementationVSAvoidlatency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple service function implementations into batch-oriented processing. By combining multiple packets and their associated service function calls into a single batch operation, the system reduces the frequency of resource loading and unloading from cache, thereby maintaining dynamic service function implementation while significantly reducing latency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables continuous batch processing of packets through the service chain without interrupting the flow for individual packet handling. This continuity approach keeps resources loaded in cache for longer periods, reducing repeated loading/unloading operations and minimizing latency while preserving dynamic service function capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentEP3487129B1Batch oriented service chaining method and corresponding devices and computer program

Publication Date: 2026.02.25 INTERDIGITAL CE PATENT HOLDINGS SAS

Figure 1~4
Figure 2
Figure 5~6d

AI summary

A method for packet processing implemented by a Packet Processing Device (PPA) connected to a communication network (NTWK) from which the Packet Processing Device (PPA) receives and/or transmits packets in a context of network service chaining. According to the present principles, comprises: - obtaining (A00) a set of packets, each packet of the set of packets comprising at least one specific characteristic; - first grouping (A01) the packets of the set of packets according to the at least one specific characteristic, delivering at least two subsets of packets (SS01, SS02); - adding (A02), to at least one of the subsets of packets (SS01, SS02), metadata (C_MD) common to the packets of the at least one subset of packets.