Transparent NSH Path Proxies for Legacy Node Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing service chaining technologies do not effectively support the integration of non-NSH aware network nodes into NSH-enabled service chains, leading to issues with service path consistency and functionality, especially when legacy services or nodes without NSH forwarding capabilities are involved.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of Transparent NSH Path Proxies, treated as a single service hop within the service chain, allows the control plane to split the service chain into segments and apply necessary policy and classification rules, enabling non-NSH aware nodes to participate by using reserved service path identifiers and service index values, ensuring consistent NSH values across the service chain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If service chaining technologies use NSH-enabled service chains, then service path consistency and functionality are improved, but non-NSH aware network nodes cannot be integrated into the service chain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a service chain endpoint (SCE) as an intermediary component that bridges NSH-aware and non-NSH-aware network nodes. The SCE encapsulates NSH headers for non-NSH nodes and decapsulates them for NSH-aware nodes, enabling seamless integration of legacy nodes into NSH-enabled service chains while maintaining service path consistency throughout the chain.
2Adaptability or versatility
If legacy services or nodes without NSH forwarding capabilities are involved, then service chain functionality is improved for broader compatibility, but service path consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by enabling different network nodes to operate with different NSH awareness capabilities at different locations in the service chain. NSH-aware nodes process and forward NSH headers natively, while non-NSH-aware nodes are handled by SCEs that provide NSH header encapsulation/decapsulation services locally, allowing each node to operate according to its capabilities while maintaining overall service path consistency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If non-NSH aware nodes are integrated into NSH-enabled service chains, then service chain versatility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling service chain endpoints to automatically detect whether downstream nodes are NSH-aware or non-NSH-aware and dynamically adjust their behavior accordingly. The control plane provides policies that enable SCEs to autonomously determine when to encapsulate NSH headers and when to forward traffic without NSH headers, reducing control plane complexity while maintaining service chain versatility.
Data Source
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AI summary
A controller that is in communication with the plurality of network nodes establishes a service path for a service chain defined by an ordered sequence of service functions to be performed at respective ones of one or more of the plurality of network nodes. The controller assigns a predetermined service path identifier and a predetermined service index value for a segment of the service chain that includes only one or more network nodes not capable of decapsulating packets to extract a network service header so as to designate the one or more network nodes determined not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header as a single service hop segment in the service chain.