Compressed routing header

A node, comprising:

• one or more memories;
• and
• one or more processors, to:
• receive an internet protocol (IP) payload packet that has been encapsulated using an IPv6 transport header that has been extended with a compressed routing header (CRH),
• wherein the CRH includes a list of segment identifiers (SIDs) that identify a set of nodes that the IP payload packet is to traverse while being routed through a network,
• wherein the list of SIDs have variable lengths of eight bits to sixty-four bits, and
• wherein the node is configured with a segment translation table that includes one or more strictly routed segments or one or more loosely routed segments;
• determine, by the node and using the CRH, that the IP payload packet is not malformed;
• determine, based on the IP payload packet not being malformed, a next segment for the IP payload packet by referencing the segment translation table;
• update a destination IP address to a particular destination IP address of a next-hop node;
• update a remaining segments value, that is included in the CRH, that identifies a number of segments remaining in a route of the IP payload packet;
• and
• provide the IP payload packet to the next-hop node to allow the next-hop node to route the IP payload packet to another node in the network or to a destination device.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

• one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a node, cause the one or more processors to:
• receive an internet protocol (IP) payload packet that has been encapsulated using a set of headers that include an IPv6 transport header,
• wherein the IPv6 transport header includes a destination IP address of the node,
• wherein the IPv6 transport header has been extended with a compressed routing header (CRH) that includes a list of segment identifiers (SIDs) that identify a set of nodes that the IP payload packet is to traverse while being routed through a network,
• wherein the list of SIDs have variable lengths of:
• eight bits,
• sixteen bits,
• thirty-two bits, or
• sixty-four bits, and
• wherein the node is configured with a segment translation table that includes one or more strictly routed segments or one or more loosely routed segments;
• determine, using the CRH, that the IP payload packet is not malformed;
• determine, based on the IP payload packet not being malformed, a next segment for the IP payload packet by referencing the segment translation table;
• update the destination IP address to a particular destination IP address of a next-hop node;
• update a remaining segments value, that is included in the CRH, that identifies a number of segments remaining in a route of the IP payload packet;
• and
• provide the IP payload packet to the next-hop node to allow the next-hop node to route the IP payload packet to another node in the network or to a destination device.