Underlay network traffic steering

A system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
• receiving, by an underlay network controller, a request from an overlay network controller, the request is associated with sending a packet from a first node of the overlay network to a second node of the overlay network via an underlay network disposed between the first node and the second node;
• determining, by the underlay network controller and based at least in part on a parameter included in the request, a path through the underlay network that is optimized for sending the packet from the first node to the second node;
• determining, by the underlay network controller, a destination address for sending the packet along the path to the second node, the destination address including a first portion that precedes a second portion, the first portion including micro segment identifiers (uSIDs) a corresponding to segments of the path in the underlay network that is configured to steer the packet through the underlay network and along the path, the second portion including multiple bits representing a portion of an address that corresponds with the second node;
• and
• sending, by the underlay network controller, the destination address to the overlay network controller, the destination address to be used to send the packet from the first node to the second node along the path through the underlay network.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

• receiving, by an underlay network controller, a request from an overlay network controller, the request is associated with sending a packet from a first node of the overlay network to a second node of the overlay network via an underlay network disposed between the first node and the second node;
• determining, by the underlay network controller and based at least in part on a parameter included in the request, a path through the underlay network that is optimized for sending the packet from the first node to the second node;
• determining, by the underlay network controller, a destination address for sending the packet along the path to the second node, the destination address including a first portion that precedes a second portion, the first portion including micro segment identifiers (uSIDs) corresponding to segments of the path in the underlay network that is configured to steer the packet along the path, the second portion including multiple bits representing a portion of an address that corresponds with the second node;
• and
• sending, by the underlay network controller, the destination address to the overlay network controller, the destination address to be used to send the packet from the first node to the second node along the path through the underlay network.