SLA packet steering in network service function chaining

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a computing system comprising a plurality of service nodes, a packet associated with a service chain representing a series of services to be performed on the packet;
• identifying, by the computing system, a performance constraint associated with the service chain;
• determining, by the computing system, an expected impact that performance of a first service function will have on satisfying the performance constraint, wherein the first service function is one of the series of services to be performed on the packet;
• modifying the packet, by the computing system, to reflect the expected impact that performance of the first service function will have on satisfying the performance constraint;
• identifying, by the computing system and based on the service chain performance constraint, a service node to perform the first service function on the packet;
• enabling the service node to perform the first service function on the packet,
• determining an expected impact that performance of a second service function will have on satisfying the performance constraint, wherein the second service function is another one of the series of services to be performed on the packet;
• and
• modifying the packet to reflect the expected impact that performance of the second service function will have on satisfying the performance constraint.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, configure processing circuitry of a computing system to:

• receive a packet;
• identify a performance constraint associated with a service chain representing a series of service functions to be performed on the packet by one or more service nodes;
• determine an expected impact that performance of a first service function will have on satisfying the performance constraint, wherein the first service function is one of the series of service functions to be performed on the packet;
• modify the packet to reflect the expected impact that performance of the first service function will have on satisfying the performance constraint;
• identify, based on the service chain performance constraint, a service node to perform the first service function on the packet;
• enable the service node to perform the first service function on the packet;
• determine an expected impact that performance of a second service function will have on satisfying the performance constraint, wherein the second service function is another one of the series of service functions to be performed on the packet;
• and
• modify the packet to reflect the expected impact that performance of the second service function will have on satisfying the performance constraint.