Dynamic Service Chaining in BNG via Segment Routing Headers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current service chaining technologies in Broadband Network Gateways (BNGs) face challenges in offering flexible, customizable services to subscribers, as they typically provide limited pre-defined service offerings and require hardware/software upgrades, leading to increased time to market and disruption of existing sessions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing dynamic service chaining by generating a routing header based on subscriber-specific service chains, allowing for real-time customization and provisioning of services without disrupting existing sessions or requiring hardware/software upgrades, using segment routing and network service headers to steer traffic through ordered sets of service nodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If services are applied at the BNG itself, then service application is simplified, but service flexibility and customization capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the service chaining functionality from the BNG core and implements it as a separate service chain identifier mechanism. The BNG adds a service chain identifier to packets, and external service nodes process the services, allowing the BNG to remain simple while gaining service flexibility through external service chains.
Solution Approach 2:
The service chain identifier acts as an intermediary between the BNG and external service nodes. It carries service chain information through the network, enabling coordinated service delivery without requiring the BNG to directly manage complex service logic, thus maintaining simplicity while achieving flexibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If specialized service nodes are used in the data center, then service functionality is enhanced, but traffic routing complexity increases due to reclassification at every service hop
Solution Approach 1:
The service chain identifier is established in advance during subscriber authentication and session setup. The complete service chain path is determined beforehand, eliminating the need for reclassification and dynamic routing decisions at each service hop, thus reducing traffic routing complexity while maintaining enhanced service functionality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If hardware and software upgrades are introduced at the BNG to add new services, then service capability is improved, but deployment time and disruption to existing sessions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The service chain identifier mechanism provides a universal framework that can accommodate multiple different services and service chains without requiring BNG upgrades. The BNG maintains a single, upgrade-free architecture that can dynamically support various services through external service nodes, eliminating deployment time and disruption while improving service capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method is performed by a network device functioning as a Broadband Network Gateway (BNG) to enable dynamic service chaining for subscribers. The method includes receiving a first sign of life packet from a subscriber device associated with a subscriber, transmitting, to an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server, a request to authenticate the subscriber in response to receiving the first sign of life packet from the subscriber device associated with the subscriber, receiving information pertaining to a service chain associated with the subscriber upon successful authentication of the subscriber by the AAA server, generating a routing header to be added to packets belonging to the subscriber based on the information pertaining to the service chain associated with the subscriber, where the routing header includes an indication of the service chain associated with the subscriber.