Service Router Architecture
AssigneeFuturewei Technologies, Inc.
InventorsNorbert Egi, Guangyu Shi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus comprising at least one receiver configured to receive a traffic flow, receive information comprising a set of functions and an order of the set from a controller, and a processor coupled to the at least one receiver and configured to assign the traffic flow to one or more resources, determine a processing schedule for the traffic flow, and process the traffic flow by the set of functions, following the order of the set, using the one or more resources, and according to the processing schedule.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- at least one receiver configured to:
- receive a traffic flow;
- receive information comprising a set of functions and an order of the set from a controller;
- and
- a processor coupled to the at least one receiver and configured to:
- assign the traffic flow to one or more resources;
- determine a processing schedule for the traffic flow;
- and
- process the traffic flow by the set of functions, following the order of the set, using the one or more resources, and according to the processing schedule.
A method comprising:
- receiving a traffic flow and configuration information, wherein the configuration information comprises a set of functions and an order of the set;
- assigning the traffic flow to one or more resources;
- determining a processing schedule for the traffic flow;
- and
- processing the traffic flow by the set of functions, following the order of the set, using the one or more resources, and according to the processing schedule.
A middlebox comprising:
- at least one receiver configured to:
- receive a plurality of packets from a network source;
- receive information comprising a set of functions and an order of the set of functions from a controller;
- and
- a processor implementing a local coordinator, wherein the local coordinator is configured to:
- compute a sum of resource needed for the plurality of packets based on the set of functions;
- allocate at least one hardware resource based on the sum;
- determine a processing schedule;
- and
- process the plurality of packets by the set of functions, following the order of the set, using the at least one hardware resource, and according to the processing schedule.
The middlebox of 19, wherein the set of functions comprises a first function and a second function, wherein the second function trails the first function in the order of the set, wherein the at least one hardware resource comprises a first resource and a second resource, wherein allocating the at least one hardware resource comprises:
- assigning an instance of the first function to the first resource and an instance of the second function to the second resource;
- and
- assigning the traffic flow to the instances of the first and second functions, and
- wherein processing the plurality of packets comprises:
- processing the plurality of packets by the first function and using the first resource;
- steering the processed packets to the second function;
- and
- processing the processed packets by the second function and using the second resource.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.