Computing Service Chain-Aware Paths
AssigneeFuturewei Technologies, Inc.
InventorsYoung Lee, Linda Dunbar, Hong Zhang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method implemented by a path computation element (PCE), comprising receiving a path computation request to compute a network path for a source-destination pair in a service chain (SC) network, wherein the path computation request comprises at least one network routing constraint and a service function (SF) input associated with a plurality of SFs, computing a plurality of network paths through the network for the source-destination pair according to the network routing constraint, selecting at least a first of the network paths according to the SF input, and sending a path computation response indicating at least the first network path in response to the received path computation request.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- receiving, by a path computation element (PCE), a path computation request to compute a network path for a source-destination pair in a service chain (SC) network, wherein the path computation request comprises at least one network routing constraint and a service function (SF) input associated with a plurality of SFs;
- computing, by the PCE, a plurality of network paths through the network for the source-destination pair according to the network routing constraint;
- selecting, by the PCE, at least a first of the network paths according to the SF input;
- and
- sending, by the PCE, a path computation response indicating at least the first network path in response to the received path computation request.
A method comprising:
- obtaining, by a network controller, service chain (SC) information associated with an SC that is associated with a plurality of service functions (SFs);
- obtaining, by the network controller, a node-SF map indicating network locations of the SFs;
- sending, by the network controller, a path computation request message to request a path computation for a source-destination pair according to at least one network routing constraint, the SC information, and the node-SF map;
- and
- receiving, by the network controller, a path computation response message comprising a route list in response to the path computation request message, wherein the route list comprises one or more network paths for the source-destination pair, and wherein each network path satisfies the network routing constraint and traverses through at least some the network locations of the SFs.
A network element (NE) comprising:
- a receiver configured to receive a path computation request message comprising a source-destination pair, at least one network routing constraint, and a service function (SF) input associated with a plurality of SF types;
- a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to:
- obtain network topology information;
- compute a plurality of shortest paths according to the network topology information and the network routing constraint;
- and
- select a first of the shortest paths according to the SF input;
- and
- a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to send a path computation response message comprising at least the first shortest path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.