Service Chain Flow Offloading via Dynamic Bypass
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional service chain architectures process all packets of a traffic flow through each service function instance, leading to unnecessary processing and latency, as some instances only require initial packets to perform their functions.
Innovation Solution
The method involves dynamically by-passing service function instances by embedding a by-pass indication in service chain headers or using control plane signaling to re-route the remaining traffic flow directly to the next-hop service function instance after the initial packets have been processed, allowing only the first few packets to be sent to each service function instance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all packets of a traffic flow are processed through each service function instance, then complete service function processing is ensured, but processing latency increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The service function instance performs preliminary processing on initial packets of the traffic flow to determine whether the flow requires further service function processing. Based on this preliminary assessment, subsequent packets are either continued to be processed or offloaded, thus resolving the contradiction by performing the decision-making action in advance
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the processing path for different traffic flows based on real-time conditions. Service function instances can dynamically offload flows that have been sufficiently processed while continuing to process flows that require complete service chain traversal, making the system adaptable to varying traffic characteristics and service requirements
2Reliability
If all packets are processed by service function instances, then thorough service processing is achieved, but network traffic volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and processes only the essential initial packets of a traffic flow through the service function instance to make offloading decisions. Once the decision is made based on these extracted packets, the remaining packets are removed from the service chain processing path and forwarded directly, thus reducing network traffic volume while maintaining processing thoroughness where needed
3Reliability
If complete service chain processing is applied to all flows, then service quality is maintained, but the number of required service nodes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial processing action by processing only the initial packets of each traffic flow through service function instances rather than all packets. This partial action is sufficient to make informed offloading decisions, reducing the workload on service nodes and allowing fewer service nodes to handle the same traffic volume with maintained service quality
Data Source
AI summary
Dynamically by-passing a service function instance on a service chain after the service function instance has processed the first few packets of a traffic flow may improve the overall processing efficiency of the service chain. When using a control plane mechanism, a service function instance communicates a by-pass indication to a control plane entity to prompt the control plane entity to re-route remaining portions of the traffic flow around the service function instance. When using a data plane mechanism, a service function instance includes a by-pass indication in a service chain header (SCH) of a packet in a traffic flow, and forwards the packet to a data plane entity. The by-pass indication will prompt the data plane entity to re-route remaining portions of the traffic flow around the service function instance.