Segment Routing Packet Forwarding with Backup SID Lists
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Solution Overview
Problem
Segment routing networks face reliability issues due to prolonged packet delivery delays or loss when the forwarding path indicated by the segment identifier list becomes faulty.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a packet processing method that utilizes primary and secondary segment identifier lists, where the secondary list serves as a backup to the primary list, ensuring continuous data packet forwarding even when the primary path fails, thereby improving network reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single primary segment identifier list is used for packet forwarding, then the forwarding path is simple and device complexity is low, but network reliability deteriorates when the primary path becomes faulty
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the forwarding path control into multiple independent segment identifier lists: a primary SID list for normal forwarding and one or more secondary SID lists for backup forwarding. This segmentation allows the system to switch between different forwarding paths without increasing the complexity of individual path management, thereby improving network reliability while maintaining manageable device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring secondary segment identifier lists as backups before any path failure occurs. The secondary SID lists are prepared in advance with alternative forwarding paths, so when the primary path becomes faulty, the system can immediately switch to the pre-prepared backup paths without requiring complex real-time path computation, thus improving reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Reliability
If backup segment identifier lists are implemented for every primary list, then network reliability improves through continuous packet forwarding, but device complexity and resource overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing backup mechanisms selectively rather than uniformly across all segment identifier lists. The system determines whether secondary SID lists are needed based on the criticality of the primary path and available resources. This localized approach ensures that backup protection is provided where most needed while avoiding unnecessary complexity in less critical paths, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the number and configuration of secondary segment identifier lists based on network conditions, path criticality, and resource availability. Rather than maintaining a fixed number of backups for all paths, the system can modify the backup configuration parameters to optimize the balance between reliability improvement and device complexity management.
Data Source
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AI summary
This application discloses a packet processing method, apparatus, and system, and belongs to the communications field. The method includes: A first network device receives a first packet, where the first packet includes a plurality of segment identifier SID lists, the plurality of SID lists include a primary SID list and at least one secondary SID list, the at least one secondary SID list includes a first secondary SID list, and the first secondary SID list is a backup of the primary SID list; and the first network device processes the first packet based on the primary SID list. This application is used to implement that, in a segment routing network, when a forwarding path indicated by a segment identifier list is faulty, data packet forwarding processing can still be implemented in the segment routing network, thereby improving network transmission reliability.