Service Function Chain Definition for Network Controller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional service chaining techniques lack a global view of applied service-functions and require secondary classifications within service nodes, making them inefficient in controller-driven network architectures where service-function selection is delegated to nodes, leading to complex configuration and management.
Innovation Solution
Defining service-function chains in terms of the service-functions to be applied rather than service nodes, allowing for dynamic selection based on parameters like load and resources, externalizing configuration and management to simplify service delivery and resource utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If service chains are defined in terms of service nodes hosting service-functions, then service delivery can be implemented, but a global view of applied service-functions is lost and secondary classifications within service nodes are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a service chain definition that acts as an intermediary layer between the service controller and service nodes. This definition includes the full set of service-functions to be applied, providing a global view that is propagated to all relevant nodes, thereby eliminating the need for nodes to perform secondary classification decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The service chain definition is established in advance by the service controller, specifying all service-functions that will be applied to traffic flows. This preliminary definition is then propagated to service nodes before traffic arrives, allowing nodes to simply execute the predefined chain without needing to perform additional classification.
2Ease of operation
If service-function selection is delegated to service nodes, then service delivery can be implemented, but configuration and management become complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the service chain definition and management functions from the service nodes and centralizes them in the service controller. The service controller creates, modifies, and propagates service chain definitions, while service nodes simply execute the received definitions, thereby simplifying node configuration and management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into control plane (service controller) and data plane (service nodes). The control plane handles all configuration, management, and definition propagation, while the data plane focuses on executing service functions according to received definitions, separating complex management tasks from execution tasks.
3Adaptability or versatility
If service chains are defined using service nodes, then implementation is straightforward, but dynamic selection based on load and resources is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The service chain definition includes parameters for dynamic selection such as load thresholds and resource availability criteria. The service controller can propagate different service chain definitions to different nodes or update definitions dynamically based on network conditions, enabling adaptive service-function selection while maintaining a structured definition approach.
Data Source
AI summary
Presented herein are service-function chaining techniques. In one example, a service controller in a network comprising a plurality of service nodes receives one is configured to identify one or more service-functions hosted by each of the service nodes. The service controller defines a service-function chain in terms of service-functions to be applied to traffic in the network and provides information descriptive of the service-function chain to a classifier node.