High-efficiency service chaining with agentless service nodes

A network device comprising:

• an intelligently controlled network interface;
• and
• logic, at least partly implemented in hardware, operable for:
• receiving an in-path network packet of a service insertion architecture on the network interface;
• classifying the network packet to associate the network packet with a service chain, wherein the service chain comprises an agentless service node that is not service-chain aware;
• associating the service chain with a local identifier, the local identifier comprising a mapping to enable the agentless node to follow the service chain's servicing order;
• and
• forwarding the network packet to a path corresponding to the local identifier.

One or more tangible, non-transitory storage mediums having stored thereon logic operable for instructing a processor for:

• receiving an in-path network packet of a service insertion architecture on a network interface;
• classifying the network packet to associate the network packet with a service chain, wherein the service chain comprises an agentless service node that is not service-chain aware;
• associating the service chain with a local identifier, the local identifier comprising a mapping to enable the agentless node to follow the service chain's servicing order;
• and
• forwarding the network packet to a path corresponding to the local identifier.