# US 2019/0356594 A1 · Packet Processing Method, Apparatus, and System > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0356594 A1 - Document ID: US20190356594A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/526,518 - Filed: 2019-07-30 - Published: 2019-11-21 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-31 - Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Shiyong Tan; Hui Ni; Hui Cai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190356594A1 ## CPC - H04L 47/125: by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering - H04L 41/0823: characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability (for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02) - H04L 47/2483: involving identification of individual flows - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method includes receiving, by an ingress network element, a data packet, wherein an ingress flow entry is stored in the ingress network element. The ingress flow entry comprises flow description information and a processing network element indication, where the flow description information matches the data packet, and the processing network element indication is used to indicate a processing network element that processes the data packet after the ingress network element. The method further includes sending, by the ingress network element, the data packet to the processing network element according to the ingress flow entry, so that the processing network element performs context processing on the data packet. ## Claims ### Claim 1 -20. (canceled) ### Claim 21 A method, comprising: receiving, by an ingress network element, an ingress flow entry from a control network element, wherein the ingress flow entry comprises flow description information, a processing network element indication, an encapsulation flow identifier, and an encapsulation indication, and wherein the flow description information is usable to perform matching with to-be-processed data packets to identify matching to-be-processed data packets, the processing network element indication indicates a processing network element processing any identified matching to-be-processed data packets, and the encapsulation indication indicates attaching the encapsulation flow identifier to any identified matching to-be-processed data packets; receiving, by the ingress network element, a first data packet; and in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, attaching, by the ingress network element, the encapsulation flow identifier to the first data packet and sending the first data packet to the processing network element after the attaching. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, wherein the flow description information comprises: a source media access control (MAC) address; a destination MAC address; a source internet protocol (IP) address; a destination IP address; a source port number; or a destination port number. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, wherein the ingress flow entry further comprises an ingress context processing indication, and the method further comprises: in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, performing a process indicated by the ingress context processing indication on the first data packet. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, wherein encapsulation flow identifier identifies a service flow to which any matching data packets belong. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, wherein the attaching is based on a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) encapsulation manner. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, wherein the processing network element indication is a media access control (MAC) address, an internet protocol (IP) address, a domain name, or a self-defined identifier of the processing network element. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, wherein the processing network element indication includes a list of address information of a plurality of processing network elements, and the method further comprises: in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, attaching the list of address information of the plurality of processing network elements to the first data packet. ### Claim 28 An ingress network element, comprising: a processor; and a computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to: receive an ingress flow entry from a control network element, wherein the ingress flow entry comprises flow description information, a processing network element indication, an encapsulation flow identifier, and an encapsulation indication, and wherein the flow description information is usable to perform matching with to-be-processed data packets to identify matching to-be-processed data packets, the processing network element indication indicates a processing network element processing any identified matching data packets, the encapsulation indication indicates attaching the encapsulation flow identifier to any identified matching data packet; receive a first data packet; and in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, attach the encapsulation flow identifier to the first data packet and send the first data packet to the processing network element after the attaching. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The ingress network element according to claim 28, wherein the flow description information comprises: a source media access control (MAC) address; a destination MAC address; a source internet protocol (IP) address; a destination IP address; a source port number; or a destination port number. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The ingress network element according to claim 28, wherein the ingress flow entry further comprises an ingress context processing indication, and the programming further includes instructions to: in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, perform a process indicated by the ingress context processing indication on the first data packet. ### Claim 31 (depends on 28) The ingress network element according to claim 28, wherein encapsulation flow identifier identifies a service flow to which any identified matching data packets belong. ### Claim 32 (depends on 28) The ingress network element according to claim 28, wherein the attaching is based on a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) encapsulation manner. ### Claim 33 (depends on 28) The ingress network element according to claim 28, wherein the processing network element indication is a media access control (MAC) address, an internet protocol (IP) address, a domain name, or a self-defined identifier of the processing network element. ### Claim 34 (depends on 28) The ingress network element according to claim 28, wherein the processing network element indication includes a list of address information of a plurality of processing network elements, and the programming further includes instructions to: in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, attach the list of address information of a plurality of processing network elements to the first data packet. ### Claim 35 A packet processing system, comprising: a processing network element; and an ingress network element, configured to: receive an ingress flow entry from a control network element, wherein the ingress flow entry comprises flow description information, a processing network element indication, an encapsulation flow identifier and an encapsulation indication, and wherein the flow description information is usable to perform matching with to-be-processed data packets to identify matching to-be-processed data packets, the processing network element indication indicates the processing network element processing any identified matching data packets, the encapsulation indication indicates attaching the encapsulation flow identifier to any identified matching data packet; receive a first data packet; and in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, attach the encapsulation flow identifier to the first data packet and send the first data packet to the processing network element after the attaching. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The packet processing system according to claim 35, wherein the ingress flow entry further comprises an ingress context processing indication, and the ingress network element is further configured to: in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, perform a process indicated by the ingress context processing indication on the first data packet. ### Claim 37 (depends on 35) The packet processing system according to claim 35, wherein the encapsulation flow identifier identifies a service flow to which any identified matching data packets belong. ### Claim 38 (depends on 35) The packet processing system according to claim 35, wherein the ingress network element is configured to attach the encapsulation flow identifier to the first data packet based on a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) encapsulation manner. ### Claim 39 (depends on 35) The packet processing system according to claim 35, wherein the processing network element indication is a media access control (MAC) address, an internet protocol (IP) address, a domain name, or a self-defined identifier of the processing network element. ### Claim 40 (depends on 35) The packet processing system according to claim 35, wherein the processing network element indication includes a list of address information of a plurality of processing network elements, and ingress network element is further configured to: in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, attach the list of address information of the plurality of processing network elements to the first data packet.