Segment routing network signaling and packet processing

A method, comprising:

• receiving a particular segment routing packet by a particular router in a network;
• responsive to the particular router data plane ascertaining during fast path processing by a fast path processing unit based on an Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) segment identifier (SID) of the particular segment routing packet that the particular segment routing packet is to be OAM processed by a different processing unit in the particular router, communicating the particular segment routing packet to the different processing unit, with fast path processing being hardware-based packet processing by the fast path processing unit;
• and
• OAM processing of the particular segment routing packet by the different processing unit;
• wherein said received particular segment routing packet is an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) packet including an IPv6 header and a segment routing header, with the IPv6 header including an IPv6 Destination Address;
• and wherein the IP Destination Address includes the OAM SID;
• wherein said OAM processing includes sending a timestamp and identifying information of the particular segment routing packet via the network to a remote OAM processing unit.

An apparatus, comprising:

• one or more hardware interfaces sending and receiving packets with a network;
• and
• a fast path packet processing unit performing hardware-based packet processing;
• and
• a slow path packet processing unit performing processor-based packet processing based on programmed instructions;
• wherein the apparatus performs packet processing operations including segment routing-capable (SR-capable) packet processing operations, with said packet processing operations including:
• receiving a particular segment routing packet;
• responsive to the particular router data plane ascertaining during fast path processing by the fast path processing unit based on an Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) segment identifier (SID) of the particular segment routing packet that the particular segment routing packet is to be OAM processed by the slow path processing unit in the particular router, communicating the particular segment routing packet to the slow path processing unit, with fast path processing being hardware-based packet processing by the fast path processing unit;
• and
• OAM processing of the particular segment routing packet by the slow path processing unit;
• wherein said received particular segment routing packet is an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) packet including an IPv6 header and a segment routing header, with the IPv6 header including an IPv6 Destination Address;
• and wherein the IP Destination Address includes the OAM SID;
• wherein the OAM segment identifier includes an identification of an END.OTP endpoint with punt function or the OAM segment identifier includes an identification of END.OTPF endpoint with punt and forward function;
• and
• wherein responsive to the OAM segment identifier identifying timestamp behavior, the fast path processing unit communicating a timestamp of a current time along with the particular segment routing packet to the different processing unit.