System and method for dataplane-signaled packet capture in a segment routing environment

A method comprising:

• in a segment-routing (SR) network, receiving, at a network node, one or more SR packets, including a first SR packet, wherein the first SR packet had been selectively routed among a plurality of network nodes, collectively, forming the segment routing (SR) network according to one or more policies enforced at the plurality of network nodes, wherein the first SR packet is generated at a first network node in a SR network from a received packet received at the first network node, wherein the first network node had generated the first SR packet to have a stack of one or more segment identifiers, wherein the stack encapsulates the received packet, and wherein at least one of the segment identifier within the stack includes a capture instruction to signal, via data plane signaling, to at least one network node in the SR network, payload of the generated SR packet as a candidate for capture;
• scanning, by the network node, the at least one of the segment identifier within the stack for presence of the capture instruction in the first SR packet;
• and
• capturing, by the network node, the first SR packet when the capture instruction is determined to be included in the at least one of the segment identifier, wherein the capturing is performed as a step selected from the group consisting of (i) locally storing the first SR packet in a memory of the network node (ii), generating and forwarding a copy of the first SR packet to another network node having an inspection, capture, or storage function, and (iii) generating and forwarding a copy of the first SR packet to a remote computing device having an inspection, capture, or storage function.

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory having instructions thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• receive one or more SR packets, including a first SR packet, wherein the first SR packet had been selectively routed among a plurality of network nodes, collectively, forming a segment routing (SR) network according to one or more policies enforced at the plurality of network nodes, wherein the first SR packet is generated at a first network node in the SR network from a received packet received at the first network node, wherein the first network node had generated the first SR packet to have a stack of one or more segment identifiers, wherein the stack encapsulates the received packet, and wherein at least one of the segment identifier within the stack includes a capture instruction to signal, via data plane signaling, to at least one network node in the SR network, payload of the generated SR packet as a candidate for capture;
• scan the at least one of the segment identifier within the stack for presence of the capture instruction in the first SR packet;
• and
• capture the first SR packet when the capture instruction is determined to be included in the at least one of the segment identifier, wherein the capture operation is performed as an operation selected from the group consisting of (i) locally storing the first SR packet in a memory of the network node (ii), generating and forwarding a copy of the first SR packet to another network node having an inspection, capture, or storage function, and (iii) generating and forwarding a copy of the first SR packet to a remote computing device having an inspection, capture, or storage function.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor, cause the processor to:

• receive one or more SR packets, including a first SR packet, wherein the first SR packet had been selectively routed among a plurality of network nodes, collectively, forming a segment routing (SR) network according to one or more policies enforced at the plurality of network nodes, wherein the first SR packet is generated at a first network node in the SR network from a received packet received at the first network node, wherein the first network node had generated the first SR packet to have a stack of one or more segment identifiers, wherein the stack encapsulates the received packet, and wherein at least one of the segment identifier within the stack includes a capture instruction to signal, via data plane signaling, to at least one network node in the SR network, payload of the generated SR packet as a candidate for capture;
• scan the at least one of the segment identifier within the stack for presence of the capture instruction in the first SR packet;
• and
• capture the first SR packet when the capture instruction is determined to be included in the at least one of the segment identifier, wherein the capture operation is performed as an operation selected from the group consisting of (i) locally storing the first SR packet in a memory of the network node (ii), generating and forwarding a copy of the first SR packet to another network node having an inspection, capture, or storage function, and (iii) generating and forwarding a copy of the first SR packet to a remote computing device having an inspection, capture, or storage function.