Segment Routing Network Processing of Packets including Operations Signaling and Processing of Packets in Manners Providing Processing and/or Memory Efficiencies

A method, comprising:

• receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) particular packet of a stream of IP packets by a particular router in a network;
• responsive to fast path processing by the particular router data plane ascertaining a segment routing policy, encapsulating the IP packet in a segment routing particular packet including a segment routing header, and punting the segment routing particular packet with a timestamp of a current time to a slow path processing unit that performs slow path processing, with fast path processing being hardware-based packet processing, and with slow path processing being processor-based processing according to programmed instructions;
• and
• OAM processing of the segment routing particular packet by the slow path processing unit.

An apparatus, comprising:

• one or more hardware interfaces sending and receiving packets with a network;
• and
• a fast path packet processing unit performing hardware-based packet processing;
• and
• a slow path packet processing unit performing processor-based packet processing based on programmed instructions;
• wherein the apparatus performs packet processing operations including segment routing-capable (SR-capable) packet processing operations, with said packet processing operations including:
• acquiring a segment routing particular packet;
• responsive to the particular router data plane ascertaining during fast path processing by the fast path packet processing unit of the segment routing particular packet that a segment routing header of the segment routing particular packet includes Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) signaling, sending the segment routing particular packet along with a timestamp of a current time to the slow path packet process;
• and
• OAM processing of the segment routing particular packet by the slow path packet processing unit.