Technologies for offloading data object replication and service function chain management

A method for offloading service function chain management to a switch, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a switch, a network packet from a source endpoint node communicatively coupled to the switch;
• updating, by the switch, metadata for the network packet, wherein the metadata is based on a service function of a plurality of service functions of a service function chain being executed at a computing node communicatively coupled to the switch and configured to process the network packet based on the metadata, wherein updating the metadata for the network packet comprises storing the metadata at a storage device of the switch and providing an application programming interface to the next service function of the service function chain, wherein the application programming interface is usable to read the metadata stored at the switch;
• forwarding, by the switch and subsequent to updating the metadata, the network packet to the service function;
• receiving, by the switch and subsequent to forwarding the network packet to the service function, feedback from the service function, wherein the feedback identifies a result of processing of the network packet by a first service function;
• modifying, in response to having received the feedback from the first service function, the service function chain based on the feedback received from the first service function, wherein to modify the service function chain comprises to update the one or more of the plurality of service functions based on the feedback;
• updating, by the switch and subsequent to receiving the feedback, the metadata of the network packet based on the feedback received from the first service function and a next service function of the service function chain;
• and
• forwarding, by the switch and subsequent to updating the metadata of the replicated network packet, the updated replicated network packet to the next service function of the service function chain.

A switch for offloading service function chain management, the switch comprising:

• network communication circuitry to receive a network packet from a source endpoint node communicatively coupled to the switch;
• means for updating metadata for the network packet, wherein the metadata is based on one or more of a plurality of service functions of a service function chain being executed at a computing node communicatively coupled to the switch and configured to process the network packet based on the metadata;
• means for forwarding, subsequent to having inserted the metadata into the network packet, the network packet to the service function;
• and
• means for receiving, subsequent to having forwarded the network packet to the service function, feedback from the service function, wherein the feedback identifies a result of processing of the received network packet by a first service function,
• means for modifying, in response to having received the feedback from the first service function, the service function chain based on the feedback received from the first service function, wherein to modify the service function chain comprises to update the one or more of the plurality of service functions based on the feedback,
• means for updating, subsequent to having received the feedback, the metadata of the network packet based on the feedback received from the first service function and a next service function of the service function chain, wherein the means for updating the metadata of the network packet comprises means for storing the metadata at a storage device of the switch and means for providing an application programming interface to the next service function of the service function chain, and
• means for forwarding, subsequent to updating the metadata of the replicated network packet, the updated replicated network packet to the next service function of the service function chain.

A switch for offloading service function chain management, the switch comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more memory devices having stored therein a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the switch to:
• receive a network packet from a source endpoint node communicatively coupled to the switch;
• update metadata for the network packet, wherein the metadata is based on one or more of a plurality of service functions of a service function chain being executed at a computing node communicatively coupled to the switch and configured to process the network packet based on the metadata;
• forward, subsequent to having inserted the metadata into the network packet, the network packet to the service function;
• receive, subsequent to having forwarded the network packet to the service function, feedback from the service function, wherein the feedback identifies a result of processing of the received network packet by the first service function;
• modify, in response to having received the feedback from the first service function, the service function chain based on the feedback received from the first service function, wherein to modify the service function chain comprises to update the one or more of the plurality of service functions based on the feedback;
• update, subsequent to having received the feedback, the metadata of the network packet based on the feedback received from the first service function and a next service function of the service function chain, wherein to update the metadata of the network packet comprises to store the metadata at a storage device of the switch and to provide an application programming interface to the next service function of the service function chain, wherein the application programming interface is usable to read the metadata stored at the switch;
• and
• forward, subsequent to updating the metadata of the replicated network packet, the updated network packet to a next service function of the service function chain.