Method and apparatus for tunnel packet optimization

A method for a communications node operation, wherein the communications node is at an end of a tunnel, the method comprising:

• receiving a tunnel packet having an outer header, wherein the outer header comprises a first source address and a first destination address;
• extracting the outer header from the tunnel packet, thereby producing a packet having an inner header;
• unpacking the packet if the communications node has created and stored a TO state when previously processing another packet with a same source and destination addresses as the first source address and the first destination address contained in a flow label within a flow label field in the outer header and the TO state has not been removed;
• and
• processing the packet;
• wherein the communications node supports an Internet Protocol version 6 protocol.

An apparatus within a network comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive a message from a communications device at an end of a tunnel, the message having a flow label related to a first source address and a first destination address;
• a controller coupled to the receiver, the controller configured to process a packet either injected to the network by the apparatus or received from another node in the network, the packet having the first source address and the first destination address;
• a packet encapsulate unit coupled to the controller, the packet encapsulate unit configured to produce a tunnel packet by encapsulating the packet with an outer header, the outer header having a second source address and a second destination address;
• a tunnel optimization (TO) check unit coupled to the controller, the TO check unit configured to determine if the communications node has created and stored a TO state when previously processing another packet with a same source and destination addresses as the first source address and the first destination address and the TO state has not been removed;
• a header generate unit coupled the controller, the header generate unit configured to compact the tunnel packet using the flow label based on the first source address and the first destination address;
• and
• a transmitter coupled to the packet encapsulate unit, the transmitter configured to transmit the tunnel packet to the second destination address.