Service Function Chaining Forwarding Table Distribution Switch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Service Function Chaining (SFC) technologies face data traffic forwarding failures due to the lack of effective mechanisms for sending forwarding tables to forwarding equipment, such as routers and switches, which are essential for processing traffic through virtual firewalls and load balancers in data center networks.
Innovation Solution
The method involves generating a forwarding table by the SFC and optionally sending it to forwarding equipment based on a preset switch state, allowing the equipment to forward messages according to the table, or creating the table upon receipt of messages if no matching table is found, thereby enabling flexible traffic processing and upgrading conventional networks into SFC networks without replacing existing routers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the SFC creates and stores forwarding tables locally without sending them to forwarding equipment, then the SFC can maintain service state information, but data traffic forwarding fails when the forwarding equipment does not have the forwarding table
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a forwarding table sending switch as an intermediary mechanism between the SFC and forwarding equipment. This switch controls whether forwarding tables are sent to forwarding equipment, enabling flexible adaptation to different network scenarios. When the switch is enabled, forwarding tables are synchronized to forwarding equipment to ensure successful data traffic forwarding; when disabled, the SFC maintains local control of forwarding state information.
2Reliability
If the SFC sends forwarding tables to all forwarding equipment, then data traffic forwarding succeeds, but the operational cost and network complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic forwarding table distribution by introducing a controllable switching mechanism. The forwarding table sending switch allows the system to adaptively decide whether to send forwarding tables to forwarding equipment based on specific network scenarios and requirements. This dynamic approach avoids the fixed cost of always distributing forwarding tables to all equipment, thereby reducing operational costs while maintaining forwarding reliability when needed.
3Productivity
If the SFC processes all traffic through service functions, then service processing capability is improved, but network equipment performance and forwarding efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the traffic processing function by separating service function processing from traditional network forwarding. The SFC handles service processing (firewall, load balancing, etc.) while forwarding equipment handles high-speed packet forwarding using forwarding tables. This segmentation allows traffic to be efficiently forwarded by network equipment without passing through service functions for every packet, thereby maintaining high forwarding speed while still providing service processing capabilities when required.
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosure discloses a method and device for processing a Service Function Chaining (SFC). The method includes that: the SFC receives a message sent from forwarding equipment; the SFC generates a forwarding table corresponding to the message; and under a condition that a preset state of a forwarding table sending switch is on, the SFC sends the forwarding table to the forwarding equipment to make the forwarding equipment forward the message according to the forwarding table when receiving the message, wherein the forwarding table sending switch is used for indicating the SFC whether to send the forwarding table to the forwarding equipment or not. By the disclosure, an effect of increasing a success rate of data forwarding of the SFC is achieved.