Data Route Identifier for Service Function Chain Forwarding
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Solution Overview
Problem
In data routing, the efficiency of forwarding data packets is significantly reduced due to the need to retrieve a service function instance sequence for each packet based on its 5-tuple, leading to increased processing capacity requirements and unnecessary network investments, as well as potential faults from serially connected service functions.
Innovation Solution
A data routing method and apparatus that allocate a data route identifier to a data flow, which identifies the service function chain, allowing the service function forwarding device to determine the service function instance sequence without relying on the 5-tuple of each data packet, thereby improving forwarding efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If service function instances are selected based on 5-tuple matching for each data packet, then service function routing can be achieved, but data packet forwarding efficiency is greatly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing a correspondence relationship between data flow identifiers (5-tuples) and service function instance sequences before data packet forwarding. This allows the service function forwarding device to directly retrieve the pre-determined service function instance sequence based on the data flow identifier, eliminating the need for real-time 5-tuple matching and service function instance selection for each packet, thereby significantly improving forwarding efficiency.
2Reliability
If devices with service functions are connected in series, then all data flows can pass through required service functions, but processing capacity requirement is increased and unnecessary network device investments are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the service function processing into independent service function instances that can be selectively activated based on data flow requirements. Instead of requiring all service functions to be connected in series for all data flows, the system segments service functions into separate instances that can be dynamically selected and connected only when needed, reducing processing capacity requirements and unnecessary network device investments.
3Productivity
If devices with service functions are connected in series, then data flows can be processed, but fault of one device causes interruption of entire data flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing independent service function instances that can fail independently without affecting other service functions. Each service function instance operates with local quality independence, meaning a fault in one instance does not propagate to other instances or the entire data flow. The service function forwarding device can select alternative healthy instances to maintain data flow processing, ensuring reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A data routing method and apparatus resolve a problem that data packet forwarding efficiency is greatly reduced because a service function instance sequence needs to be retrieved for each data packet according to a 5-tuple of a data flow to which the data packet belongs. The data routing method includes: receiving, by a traffic classifier, a data packet, where the data packet belongs to a first data flow; allocating, by the traffic classifier, a first data route identifier to the first data flow, where the first data route identifier is used to identify a service function chain of the first data flow and is used to identify the first data flow; adding, by the traffic classifier, the first data route identifier to the data packet; and sending, by the traffic classifier, the data packet to a service function forwarding device.