US 10,757,231 B2Granted

Providing network efficiencies in forwarding packets among provider networks and applying segment routing policies

AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.

InventorsClarence Filsfils, Francois Clad, Pablo Camarillo Garvia

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Abstract

In one embodiment, a third-party client network access device sends Internet Protocol (IP) encapsulating packets with a predetermined destination address of a node of the network client service provider (NCSP), with these IP encapsulating packets encapsulating original data packets. These IP encapsulating packets are communicated through the ISP network being used by the NCSP in providing its network services. The predetermined destination address, which is typically also a segment identifier, causes network service processing (e.g., according to a corresponding segment routing function) of the received packet by the node of the NCSP. This processing typically includes creating a segment routing packet encapsulating the original packet (extracted from the received IP encapsulating packet) with its segment list(s) being populated with segment identifier(s) according to a current NCSP segment routing policy reflective of a sequence of forwarding and service chaining operations of the NCSP service offering.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

communicating a particular Internet Protocol (IP) packet from a host device of a third-party client to a network access device of the third-party client over a wireless or wired local area network, with the particular IP packet being addressed to a particular destination external to an Internet Service Provider (ISP), and with the network access device being located on the premises of the third-party client;
encapsulating, by the network access device, the particular IP packet in an Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) encapsulating packet having a particular IP destination address in an outer IP header, with the particular IP destination address being a particular segment identifier of a particular network service provided by a particular network device of a network client service provider (NCSP) that uses network infrastructure and services of the ISP to provide communications services to the third-party client, with the particular IP destination address being an IP address of the particular network device, and with said communications services including Internet access via the network access device;
communicating the IPv6 encapsulating packet from the network access device to an edge router in a network of the ISP;
communicating the IPv6 encapsulating packet from the edge router to the particular network device located in a data center or cloud footprint of the NCSP;
receiving the IPv6 encapsulating packet by the particular network device;
responsive to the particular IP destination address of said received IPv6 encapsulating packet, the particular network device operating according to the particular network service that includes originating a particular segment routing IPv6 (SRv6) packet encapsulating the particular IP packet extracted from said received IPv6 encapsulating packet with the particular SRv6 packet including a particular segment list of one or more particular segment identifiers;
and
sending the particular SRv6 packet into the network of the ISP.

5 more elements

A method, comprising:

communicating a particular Internet Protocol (IP) packet from a host device of a third-party client to a network access device of the third-party client;
encapsulating, by the network access device, the particular IP packet in an Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) encapsulating packet having a particular IP destination address in an outer IP header, with the particular IP destination address being a particular segment identifier of a particular network service provided by a particular network device of a network client service provider (NCSP) that uses network infrastructure and services of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to provide communications services to the third-party client, with the particular IP destination address being an IP address of the particular network device;
communicating the IPv6 encapsulating packet from the network access device to an edge router in a network of the ISP;
communicating the IPv6 encapsulating packet from the edge router to the particular network device;
receiving the IPv6 encapsulating packet by the particular network device;
responsive to the particular IP destination address of said received IPv6 encapsulating packet, the particular network device operating according to the particular network service that includes originating a particular segment routing IPv6 (SRv6) packet encapsulating the particular IP packet extracted from said received IPv6 encapsulating packet with the particular SRv6 packet including a particular segment list of one or more particular segment identifiers;
and
sending the particular SRv6 packet into the network of the ISP;
receiving a second particular IP packet from the host device by the network access device communicatively coupled to a second edge router, different from the edge router, of the network of the ISP;
encapsulating, by the network access device, the second particular IP packet in a second IPv6 encapsulating packet having the particular IP destination address in an outer IP header;
and
communicating the second IPv6 encapsulating packet from the network access device to the second edge router.

9 more elements

A method, comprising:

communicating a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) packets in a plurality of IP encapsulating packets via a network access device of a third-party client to a first or a second edge router of a network of an Internet Service Provider (ISP), with the IP source address of each of the plurality of IP packets being a host device of the third-party client, with each of the plurality of IP encapsulating packets including an outer IP header with a particular IP destination address identifying a particular network service provided by a particular network device of a network client service provider (NCSP) using network infrastructure and services of the ISP to provide communications services to the third-party client, with the particular IP destination address being an IP address of the particular network device;
and
for each particular IP encapsulating packet of said IP encapsulating packets that is received by the particular network device:
based on the particular IP destination address identifying the particular network service, the particular network device processing said particular IP encapsulating packet according to the particular network service that includes generating a particular Segment Routing IP version 6 (SRv6) packet encapsulating said particular packet received in said particular IP encapsulating packet and with the particular SRv6 packet including a particular segment list of one or more particular segment identifiers corresponding to a current segment routing policy;
and sending the SRv6 packet into the network of the ISP;
wherein the network access device is located on the premises of the third-party client;
and wherein the network access device said receives the plurality of IP packets of the third party client from a plurality of hosts of the third-party.

4 more elements

A method, comprising:

communicating a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) packets in a plurality of IP encapsulating packets via a network access device of a third-party client to a first or a second edge router of a network of an Internet Service Provider (ISP), with the IP source address of each of the plurality of IP packets being a host device of the third-party client, with each of the plurality of IP encapsulating packets including an outer IP header with a particular IP destination address identifying a particular network service provided by a particular network device of a network client service provider (NCSP) using network infrastructure and services of the ISP to provide communications services to the third-party client, with the particular IP destination address being an IP address of the particular network device;
and
for each particular IP encapsulating packet of said IP encapsulating packets that is received by the particular network device:
based on the particular IP destination address identifying the particular network service, the particular network device processing said particular IP encapsulating packet according to the particular network service that includes generating a particular Segment Routing IP version 6 (SRv6) packet encapsulating said particular packet received in said particular IP encapsulating packet and with the particular SRv6 packet including a particular segment list of one or more particular segment identifiers corresponding to a current segment routing policy;
and sending the SRv6 packet into the network of the ISP;
wherein the network access device connectivity to the network of the ISP is changed from the first edge router of the ISP to the second edge router of the ISP such that a first plurality portion of the plurality of IP encapsulating packets are communicated to the first edge router and a second plurality portion of the plurality of IP encapsulating packets are communicated to the second edge router.

3 more elements

A method, comprising:

communicating a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) packets in a plurality of IP encapsulating packets via a network access device of a third-party client to a first or a second edge router of a network of an Internet Service Provider (ISP), with the IP source address of each of the plurality of IP packets being a host device of the third-party client, with each of the plurality of IP encapsulating packets including an outer IP header with a particular IP destination address identifying a particular network service provided by a particular network device of a network client service provider (NCSP) using network infrastructure and services of the ISP to provide communications services to the third-party client, with the particular IP destination address being an IP address of the particular network device;
and
for each particular IP encapsulating packet of said IP encapsulating packets that is received by the particular network device:
based on the particular IP destination address identifying the particular network service, the particular network device processing said particular IP encapsulating packet according to the particular network service that includes generating a particular Segment Routing IP version 6 (SRv6) packet encapsulating said particular packet received in said particular IP encapsulating packet and with the particular SRv6 packet including a particular segment list of one or more particular segment identifiers corresponding to a current segment routing policy;
and sending the SRv6 packet into the network of the ISP;
wherein the network of the ISP is connected to a different network of a different ISP via a third edge router in the network of the ISP;
and wherein said particular segment identifiers include a particular segment identifier which is an IP address of the third edge router;
and
wherein the method includes for each particular SRv6 packet of a plurality said SRv6 packets:
receiving said particular SRv6 packet with a destination address of the particular segment identifier by the third edge router from the network of the ISP;
decapsulating said particular packet from said particular SRv6 packet by the third edge router;
and
sending from the third edge router said particular packet to the different network of the different ISP.

10 more elements

A method, comprising:

communicating a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) packets in a plurality of IP encapsulating packets via a network access device of a third-party client to a first or a second edge router of a network of an Internet Service Provider (ISP), with the IP source address of each of the plurality of IP packets being a host device of the third-party client, with each of the plurality of IP encapsulating packets including an outer IP header with a particular IP destination address identifying a particular network service provided by a particular network device of a network client service provider (NCSP) using network infrastructure and services of the ISP to provide communications services to the third-party client, with the particular IP destination address being an IP address of the particular network device;
for each particular IP encapsulating packet of said IP encapsulating packets that is received by the particular network device:
based on the particular IP destination address identifying the particular network service, the particular network device processing said particular IP encapsulating packet according to the particular network service that includes generating a particular Segment Routing IP version 6 (SRv6) packet encapsulating said particular packet received in said particular IP encapsulating packet and with the particular SRv6 packet including a particular segment list of one or more particular segment identifiers corresponding to a current segment routing policy;
and sending the SRv6 packet into the network of the ISP;
for each specific packet of a plurality of specific IP packets with an IP destination address of the host device and received by a specific edge router of the ISP, the specific edge routing encapsulating said specific packet in a specific IPv6 encapsulating packet with a specific destination address of a specific network device of the NCSP, and sending the specific IPv6 into the network of the ISP;
for each specific IP encapsulating packet of a plurality of said specific IP encapsulating packets received by the specific network device and based on the specific IP destination address identifying a specific segment routing network service, the specific network device processing said specific IP packet according to the specific segment routing network service that includes generating a specific SRv6 packet encapsulating said specific packet received in said specific IP encapsulating packet and with the specific SRv6 packet including a specific segment list of one or more specific segment identifiers, with the specific SRv6 packet being sent into the network of the ISP;
and
for each said specific SRV6 packet received by a second specific edge router of the ISP, the second specific edge router decapsulating and sending said specific IP packet to the network access device.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/981,232Filed 16 May 2018 · us provisional application
Priority: 27 Jun 2017
Published: US 2018/0375764 A127 Dec 2018
Granted: 25 Aug 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification25 codes

H04L 69/22
Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass:…
H04L 12/4633
Interconnection of networks: interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
H04L 12/4641
Interconnection of networks: virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN]
H04L 45/033
Topology update or discovery: by updating distance vector protocols