US 2022/0070081 A1Published application

Service chaining with physical network functions and virtualized network functions

AssigneeJuniper Networks, Inc.

InventorsMahesh Sivakumar, Anantharamu Suryanarayana, Ankur Tandon

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Abstract

Techniques are described in which a centralized controller, such as a software defined networking (SDN) controller, constructs a service chain that includes a physical network function (PNF) between a bare metal server (BMS) and a virtual execution element (e.g., virtual machine or container), or in some instances a remote BMS, or vice-versa. In accordance with the techniques disclosed herein, the controller may construct an inter-network service chain that includes PNFs, or a combination of PNFs and virtualized network functions (VNFs). The controller may construct an inter-network service chain to steer traffic between a BMS and a virtual execution element or remote BMS through an inter-network service chain using Virtual Extensible Local Area Network (VXLAN) as an underlying transport technology through the service chain.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

creating, by a Software Defined Network (SDN) controller of a network system, a service chain comprising a first PNF and a second PNF, the service chain between a first logical router and a second logical router of the network system;
creating, for each of the first PNF and the second PNF, a corresponding first routing instance;
configuring, for each of the first PNF and the second PNF, the corresponding first routing instance with a network identifier of a virtual network associated with the first logical router;
creating a route between a first device on the virtual network towards a second device through the service chain, the route specifying, in a first switch between the first device and the first PNF, the network identifier of the corresponding first routing instance for the first PNF as a first label for a next hop from the first switch to the first PNF, and specifying, in a second switch between the first PNF and the second PNF, the network identifier of the corresponding first routing instance for the second PNF as a second label for a next hop from the second switch to the second PNF;
and
pushing the route to at least one of a plurality of switches communicatively coupled to one or more of the first PNF and the second PNF, the plurality of switches including the first switch and the second switch.

3 more elements

A controller comprising:

one or more processors;
a service chain unit executable by the one or more processors, the service chain unit configured to:
create a service chain comprising a first PNF and a second PNF, the service chain between a first logical router and a second logical router of a network system,
create, for each of the first PNF and the second PNF, a corresponding first routing instance,
configure, for each of the first PNF and the second PNF, the corresponding first routing instance with a network identifier of a virtual network associated with the first logical router, and
create a route between a first device on the virtual network towards a second device through the service chain, the route specifying, in a first switch between the first device and the first PNF, the network identifier of the corresponding first routing instance for the first PNF as a first label for a next hop from the first switch to the first PNF, and specifying, in a second switch between the first PNF and the second PNF, the network identifier of the corresponding first routing instance for the second PNF as a label for a next hop from the second switch to the second PNF;
and
a control plane virtual machine executable by the one or more processors and configured to push the route to at least one of a plurality of switches communicatively coupled to one or more of the first PNF and the second PNF, the plurality of switches including the first switch and the second switch.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/454,979Filed 15 Nov 2021
Priority: 7 Jul 2020
Published: 3 Mar 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H04L 45/64
Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks: using an overlay routing layer
H04L 12/4641
Interconnection of networks: virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN]
H04L 41/122
Discovery or management of network topologies: of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation…
H04L 45/0377
Routes obligatorily traversing service-related nodes: for service chaining

Family

Application16/922,954Continuation · filed 7 Jul 2020
Application17/454,979Continuation
US 11,178,041 B1Related patent
US 11,652,727 B2Related patent
US 2022/0070081 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.