SRv6 Packet Forwarding With Two-Dimensional Compressed SID Pointers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The length of segment identifiers (SIDs) in segment routing over IPv6 (SRv6) increases the packet size, occupying excessive network resources and reducing transmission and processing efficiency due to the lengthy segment routing headers (SRHs).
Innovation Solution
Implementing compressed segment identifiers (C-SIDs) that replace full-length SIDs, using a two-dimensional pointer system with an SL and CL pointer to reduce the SID list length, and omitting the prefix part of the locator field to conserve packet space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If full-length segment identifiers (SIDs) are used in SRv6, then routing functionality is maintained, but packet size increases excessively occupying network resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary portion of the SID (the node identifier part) while omitting the redundant prefix part. This allows the packet to carry minimal sufficient information for routing decisions without needing the full 128-bit SID, thereby reducing packet size while maintaining routing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a two-dimensional pointer system (SL pointer for segment list index and CL pointer for identifier index within segment) to replace the traditional one-dimensional flat SID list. This dimensional transformation enables efficient routing with compressed identifiers, resolving the contradiction between routing reliability and packet size.
2Productivity
If segment routing header (SRH) length is reduced by using compressed SIDs, then packet transmission efficiency improves, but routing precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the CL pointer as an intermediary mechanism that maps compressed node identifiers to their corresponding entries in the full SID list. This intermediary allows the system to use short compressed SIDs for efficient transmission while maintaining the ability to access precise routing information when needed through the pointer mapping.
3Productivity
If compressed segment identifiers are used, then packet processing efficiency improves, but device complexity increases due to pointer management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the SL pointer (segment list index) and CL pointer (identifier index) into a unified pointer management mechanism within the SRH structure. This consolidation allows efficient compressed SID processing while managing device complexity through integrated pointer handling rather than separate complex management systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for processing a packet on an SR network is provided, including: receiving a packet, where a packet header of the packet includes a destination address field, a first pointer, a second pointer, and a list used to process the packet, the list includes a plurality of sequentially arranged identifiers, the plurality of identifiers are one-to-one mapped to a plurality of segments on the SR network, and a value of the first pointer and a value of the second pointer jointly indicate a location of a first identifier in the plurality of identifiers in the list; determining the first identifier based on the value of the first pointer and the value of the second pointer; and copying the first identifier to the destination address field. In this method, a CL pointer is set in the packet header to jointly form a two-dimensional pointer with an SL pointer, to indicate a location of a C-SID in a SID list. This reduces a packet length and improves transmission and processing efficiency of the network.