Routing methods, systems, and computer program products

A non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a first node in a network, cause the first node to:

• receive an Internet Protocol (IP) packet including an extension header which comprises a first path segment list that includes a first identifier and further includes an outside-scope second identifier that, for the first node, identifies a first region that does not include the first node and that is communicatively coupled to the first node via a second node;
• update the extension header by determining an offset based on a length of the outside-scope second identifier;
• select, based on the outside-scope second identifier and based on at least one of a policy, a metric, or a routing table, an outgoing network interface included in at least one path segment of a plurality of path segments that communicatively couple the first node and at least one other node communicatively coupled to the first region, the plurality of path segments including at least one multi-hop path segment;
• and
• forward, via the outgoing network interface and to the second node, data received in the IP packet.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a first node including at least one non-transitory memory configured to store instructions, and one or more processors in communication with the at least one non-transitory memory, wherein the one or more processors is configured to execute the instructions to cause the first node to:
• receive an Internet Protocol (IP) packet including an extension header which comprises a first path segment list that includes a first identifier and further includes an outside-scope second identifier that, for the first node, identifies a first region that does not include the first node and that is communicatively coupled to the first node via a second node;
• select, based on the outside-scope second identifier and based on at least one of a policy, a metric, or a routing table, an outgoing network interface included in at least one path segment of a plurality of path segments that communicatively couple the first node and at least one other node communicatively coupled to the first region, the plurality of path segments including at least one multi-hop path segment;
• and
• forward, via the outgoing network interface and to the second node, data received in the IP packet;
• wherein the apparatus is configured such that the IP packet is modified before the IP packet is forwarded, the IP packet being modified by overwriting the first identifier with the outside-scope second identifier.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a first node including at least one non-transitory memory configured to store instructions, and one or more processors in communication with the at least one non-transitory memory, wherein the one or more processors is configured to execute the instructions to cause the first node to:
• receive an Internet Protocol (IP) packet including an extension header which comprises a first path segment list that includes a first identifier and further includes an outside-scope second identifier that, for the first node, identifies a first region that does not include the first node and that is communicatively coupled to the first node via a second node;
• update the extension header by determining an offset based on a length of the outside-scope second identifier;
• select, based on the outside-scope second identifier and based on at least one of a policy, a metric, or a routing table, an outgoing network interface included in at least one path segment of a plurality of path segments that communicatively couple the first node and at least one other node communicatively coupled to the first region, the plurality of path segments including at least one multi-hop path segment;
• and
• forward, via the outgoing network interface and to the second node, data received in the IP packet.

A method, comprising:

• at a first node in a network:
• receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) packet including an extension header which comprises a first path segment list that includes a first identifier and further includes an outside-scope second identifier that, for the first node, identifies a first region that does not include the first node and that is communicatively coupled to the first node via a second node;
• modifying the IP packet by overwriting the first identifier with the outside-scope second identifier;
• selecting, based on the outside-scope second identifier and based on at least one of a policy, a metric, or a routing table, an outgoing network interface included in at least one path segment of a plurality of path segments that communicatively couple the first node and at least one other node communicatively coupled to the first region, the plurality of path segments including at least one multi-hop path segment;
• and
• forwarding, via the outgoing network interface, data received in the IP packet such that the modified IP packet is forwarded with the data.

A method comprising:

• at a first node in a network:
• receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) packet including an extension header which comprises a first path segment list that includes a first identifier and further includes an outside-scope second identifier that, for the first node, identifies a first region that does not include the first node and that is communicatively coupled to the first node via a second node;
• updating the extension header by determining an offset based on a length of the outside-scope second identifier;
• selecting, based on the outside-scope second identifier and based on at least one of a policy, a metric, or a routing table, an outgoing network interface included in at least one path segment of a plurality of path segments that communicatively couple the first node and at least one other node communicatively coupled to the first region, the plurality of path segments including at least one multi-hop path segment;
• and
• forwarding, via the outgoing network interface, data received in the IP packet;
• wherein the first path segment list comprises an Internet Protocol version six (IPv6) destination address.

A method, comprising:

• performing at least one act that is configured to cause a first node to:
• receive an Internet Protocol (IP) packet including an extension header which comprises a first path segment list that includes a first identifier and further includes an outside-scope second identifier that, for the first node, identifies a first region that does not include the first node and that is communicatively coupled to the first node via a second node,
• update the extension header by identifying an offset based on a length of the outside-scope second identifier,
• select, based on the outside-scope second identifier and based on at least one of a policy, a metric, or a routing table, an outgoing network interface included in at least one path segment of a plurality of path segments that communicatively couple the first node and at least one other node communicatively coupled to the first region, the plurality of path segments including at least one multi-hop path segment, and
• forward, via the outgoing network interface and to the second node, data received in the IP packet;
• and
• causing storage of a result of the at least one act on non-transitory computer-readable media.

A method, comprising:

• performing at least one act that is configured to cause a first node to:
• receive an Internet Protocol (IP) packet including an extension header which comprises a first path segment list that includes a first identifier and further includes an outside-scope second identifier that, for the first node, identifies a first region that does not include the first node and that is communicatively coupled to the first node via a second node,
• select, based on the outside-scope second identifier and based on at least one of a policy, a metric, or a routing table, an outgoing network interface included in at least one path segment of a plurality of path segments that communicatively couple the first node and at least one other node communicatively coupled to the first region, the plurality of path segments including at least one multi-hop path segment,
• modify the IP packet by overwriting the first identifier with the outside-scope second identifier, and
• forward, via the outgoing network interface and to the second node, data received in the IP packet such that the modified IP packet is forwarded with the data;
• and
• causing storage of a result of the at least one act on non-transitory computer-readable media.