US 12,267,233 B2
Methods and apparatus for encoding local processing metadata in network headers
Clarence Filsfils, Brussels (BE); Pablo Camarillo Garvia, Madrid (ES); Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed Abdelsalam, L'Aquila (IT); and Francois Clad, Strasbourg (FR)
Assigned to Cisco Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Cisco Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/538,513.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/220,946, filed on Jul. 12, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/120,036, filed on Dec. 1, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/120,020, filed on Dec. 1, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0174004 A1, Jun. 2, 2022
Int. Cl. H04L 45/00 (2022.01); H04L 45/302 (2022.01); H04L 45/74 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 45/566 (2013.01) [H04L 45/306 (2013.01); H04L 45/74 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
receiving a packet from a source device that is to be delivered to a destination address through a network;
determining a route to the destination address through at least one network node of the network;
identifying, from local processing information located in least significant bits of a source address field, a slice identifier, the slice identifier identifies a network slice and an associated service level agreement for transmitting the packet through the network;
encapsulating the packet, wherein a header of the encapsulated packet includes the route to the destination address in a destination address field and the local processing information, wherein the local processing information includes the slice identifier, and the local processing information is associated with at least one local processing function to be performed locally at the at least one network node of the route and stored in the source address field, wherein the slice identifier identifies packet treatment;
forwarding the encapsulated packet to a next network node of the network identified in the destination address; and
performing the at least one local processing function in the local processing information.