Method and Apparatus for Processing Service Flow in Packet Network

An apparatus for processing a service flow in a packet network, wherein the apparatus is disposed in a first network device in a network device group, wherein the apparatus comprises:

• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the processor, such that when executed, instruct the processor to:
• obtain a first upstream service flow comprising a first upstream data packet, wherein the first upstream data packet comprises a first sequence number to identify a sequence in the first upstream service flow, and wherein the first upstream service flow is from a third network device in the packet network or is obtained by replicating an upstream service flow from the third network device;
• receive a second upstream service flow from a second network device in the packet network, wherein the second upstream service flow comprises a second upstream data packet, wherein the second upstream data packet comprises a second sequence number identifying a sequence in the second upstream service flow and that is of the upstream data packet comprising the sequence number, and wherein the second upstream service flow is from a fourth network device in the packet network or is obtained by replicating an upstream service flow from the fourth network device;
• obtain a third upstream service flow based on a first reference sequence number, the first sequence number and the second sequence number, wherein the third upstream service flow comprises a third upstream data packet, and wherein the third upstream service flow comprises a third sequence number greater than the first reference sequence number;
• and
• send the third upstream service flow to a fifth network device.