Service Control Entity for Flexible Service Chaining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current service networks face inflexibility in allocating value-added services, with transparent value-added services (TVAS) being complex and costly to deploy, especially in legacy networks, due to strong dependencies on hardware appliances and limited scalability and efficiency in steering traffic through chains of service providing modules.
Innovation Solution
A service control entity is configured to control chains of services by determining possible service chains, identifying the sequence of services, and assigning ingress network addresses to service providing modules in a predefined relationship, allowing efficient steering of data packet flows through a chain of services without the need for complex SDN solutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If transparent value-added services are deployed in legacy networks using hardware appliances, then service functionality is provided, but device complexity and deployment cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a service chain classification unit as an intermediary component that sits between the service network and TVAS. This unit receives data packets, classifies them into different service chains based on classification criteria, and steers them to appropriate service providing modules. This intermediary approach enables flexible service deployment without requiring complex configurations in legacy networks, as the classification unit handles the intelligence while TVAS can remain relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the service network into distinct service chains, where each chain consists of a specific sequence of services. The service chain classification unit determines which service chain a data packet belongs to and steers it accordingly. This segmentation allows independent deployment and management of different service chains, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining adaptability.
2Ease of operation
If service chains are controlled using complex SDN solutions, then traffic steering capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The service chain classification unit acts as a specialized intermediary for traffic steering, designed specifically for service chaining rather than general SDN control. It receives classification criteria from service providing modules and uses this information to steer traffic efficiently. This targeted approach provides effective traffic steering without the overhead of comprehensive SDN solutions.
Solution Approach 2:
Service providing modules publish their own classification criteria to the service chain classification unit, enabling self-configuration. The classification unit automatically uses these criteria to steer traffic without requiring external control system intervention. This self-service mechanism simplifies the control system while maintaining efficient traffic steering.
3Reliability
If TVAS are deployed with strong dependencies on hardware appliances, then service reliability is maintained, but adaptability and scalability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the service chain into independent service providing modules that can be individually managed. Each module publishes its classification criteria and can be deployed independently. This segmentation enables gradual migration from hardware to virtualized deployments while maintaining service reliability, as each module can be deployed in the most appropriate environment for its specific requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The service chain classification unit is designed to work with diverse service providing modules regardless of their deployment platform. It handles classification and steering for both hardware-appliance TVAS and virtualized TVAS uniformly. This universal approach enables mixed deployments where reliable hardware services and flexible virtualized services coexist in the same network.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a service control entity (100) configured to control chains of services provided in a service network (400) in which a plurality of service providing modules (300) are provided, wherein data packets of a data packet flow from a source address to a destination address are transmitted through the service network (400) to apply a chain of services to the data packet flow. A chain control unit (110) determines the possible chains of services to be applied to the different data packet flows, and identifies, for each chain of services, the predefined sequence of services applied to the data packet flow and the service providing modules (300) which provide the services contained in the predefined sequence of services, and identifies in which order the identified service providing modules (300) have to be passed in order to apply the predefined sequence of services to the data packet flow. A module control unit (120) controls the service providing modules (300) and assigns, to each of the identified service providing modules (300) contained in the chain of services, an ingress network address of an underlying layer of the end-to-end layer, wherein the module control unit (120) assigns ingress network addresses to the service providing modules used in the corresponding chain of services in such a way that the ingress network address of a service providing module and the ingress network address of a neighboring service providing module which is the subsequent service providing module in the corresponding chain of services, are related to each other by a predefined relationship,