# US 10,455,303 B2 · Packet-optical in-band telemetry (POINT) flow tracing and proof-of-transit

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- Number: US 10,455,303 B2
- Document ID: US10455303B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/840,606
- Filed: 2017-12-13
- Published: 2019-01-10
- Granted: 2019-10-22
- Earliest claimed: 2017-07-05
- Assignees: Infinera Corporation
- Applicants: Infinera Corporation
- Inventors: Madhukar Anand; Ramesh Subrahmaniam; Radhakrishna Valiveti
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10455303B2

## CPC

- H04Q 11/0067: {Provisions for optical access or distribution networks, e.g. Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network (GE-PON), ATM-based Passive Optical Network (A-PON), PON-Ring}
- G06F 16/2322: {using timestamps}
- G06F 16/2477: {Temporal data queries}
- G06F 16/9014: {hash tables}
- H04J 3/0673: {using intermediate nodes, e.g. modification of a received timestamp before further transmission to the next packet node, e.g. including internal delay time or residence time into the packet}
- H04J 14/0267: {Optical signaling or routing}
- H04L 9/085: {Secret sharing or secret splitting, e.g. threshold schemes}
- H04L 9/3242: {involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC}
- H04L 9/3297: {involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps}
- H04L 12/465: {wherein a single frame includes a plurality of VLAN tags}
- H04L 45/38: {Flow based routing}
- H04L 69/22: Parsing or analysis of headers
- H04M 11/002: {with telemetering systems (telemetering in general G08C)}
- H04Q 9/02: Automatically-operated arrangements
- H04Q 11/00: Selecting arrangements for multiplex systems (multiplex systems H04J)
- H04Q 11/0066: {Provisions for optical burst or packet networks}
- H04L 12/4633: {Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling}
- H04L 12/4641: {Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272)}
- H04L 45/245: {Link aggregation, e.g. trunking}
- H04L 2012/4629: {using multilayer switching, e.g. layer 3 switching}
- H04Q 11/0005: {Switch and router aspects}
- H04Q 2011/0083: {Testing; Monitoring}
- H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04J: MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION (transmission in general H04B; peculiar to transmission of digital information H04L5/00; systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal H04N7/08; in exchanges H04Q11/00; stereophonic systems H04S)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

A method and system for flow tracing for use in a packet-optical network is disclosed herein. A device in the packet-optical network may receive a packet including a header and payload. The device may read intent information from the header, and translate the intent information to generate a device-specific action in an optical layer to provide one or more globally unique identifiers (IDs) associated with the device. The device may execute the device-specific action in the optical layer to generate a response including the globally unique IDs corresponding to the intent, where the response forms part of the flow trace. The device may associate the response with the intent, and encode the response for downstream data forwarding. The device may further add multi-layer proof-of-transit (POT) information to the response that may be used to securely verify the path indicated in the SmartFlow flow trace.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device configured for multi-layer in-band telemetry in a packet-optical network, the device comprising:
a processor coupled to at least one interface;
the at least one interface configured to receive, at a packet layer, a packet including at least a header and a payload;
the processor configured to:
read intent information from the header, wherein the intent information includes a request for flow tracing information;
translate the intent information from the packet layer to generate a device-specific action in an optical layer, wherein the device-specific action provides at least one globally unique identifier (ID) associated with the device;
execute the device-specific action in the optical layer to generate a response corresponding to the intent, wherein the response includes the at least one globally unique identifier associated with the device;
associate the response with the intent; and
encode the response in the packet layer and provide the response to the at least one interface for downstream data forwarding.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one globally unique ID associated with the device includes at least one of the following: a node ID of the device; an ingress port ID for the device; an egress port ID for the device; a link ID for a link connected to the device; a path ID associated with a network path traversed by the packet; a service ID for a service operating at the device; a function ID for a function operating at the device; or a virtual network function (VNF) ID for a VNF operating at the device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one globally unique ID associated with the device is a 16-byte universally unique ID (UUID).

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The device of claim 3, wherein only a portion of the 16-byte UUID is included in the response.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the request for flow tracing information includes a request for at least one of the following: node tracing; port tracing; link tracing; path tracing; service tracing; or function tracing.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the generated response further includes at least one of the following: a functional node name for the device; a geographical location name for the device; or a role within the packet-optical network name for the device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the generated response further includes at least one port identifier for a port within the device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the generated response further includes at least one link identifier for a link connected to the device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the intent information further includes, for each network layer, an independent coefficient of a random polynomial for calculating proof-of-transit (POT) of the packet, wherein:
the processor is further configured to compute, at a packet layer, a polynomial sum of the independent coefficient of the random polynomial and a secret and constant polynomial; and
the processor is further configured to insert the computed polynomial sum into the response.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the secret and constant polynomial is configured by a network controller or operator.

### Claim 11

A method performed by a device configured for multi-layer in-band telemetry in a packet-optical network, the method comprising:
receiving, at a packet layer, a packet including at least a header and a payload;
reading intent information from the header, wherein the intent information includes a request for flow tracing information;
translating the intent information from the packet layer to generate a device-specific action in an optical layer, wherein the device-specific action provides at least one globally unique identifier (ID) associated with the device;
executing the device-specific action in the optical layer to generate a response corresponding to the intent, wherein the response includes the at least one globally unique identifier associated with the device;
associating the response with the intent; and
encoding the response in the packet layer and providing the response for downstream data forwarding.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one globally unique ID associated with the device includes at least one of the following: a node ID of the device; an ingress port ID for the device; an egress port ID for the device; a link ID for a link connected to the device; a path ID associated with a network path traversed by the packet; a service ID for a service operating at the device; a function ID for a function operating at the device; or a virtual network function (VNF) ID for a VNF operating at the device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one globally unique ID associated with the device is a 16-byte universally unique ID (UUID).

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein only a portion of the 16-byte UUID is included in the response.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the request for flow tracing information includes a request for at least one of the following: node tracing; port tracing; link tracing; path tracing; service tracing; or function tracing.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the generated response further includes at least one of the following: a functional node name for the device; a geographical location name for the device; or a role within the packet-optical network name for the device.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the generated response further includes at least one port identifier for a port within the device.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the generated response further includes at least one link identifier for a link connected to the device.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the intent information further includes, for each network layer, an independent coefficient of a random polynomial for calculating proof-of-transit (POT) of the packet, further comprising:
computing, at a packet layer, a polynomial sum of the independent coefficient of the random polynomial and a secret and constant polynomial; and
inserting the computed polynomial sum into the response.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the secret and constant polynomial is configured by a network controller or operator.