US 12,289,235 B2
Distributing service function chain data and service function instance data in a network
Eric C. Rosen, Arlington, MA (US); John E. Drake, Pittsburgh, PA (US); William Stuart Mackie, Carmel, NY (US); and Adrian John Farrel, Llangollen (GB)
Assigned to Juniper Networks, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed by Juniper Networks, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/329,873.
Application 18/329,873 is a continuation of application No. 17/527,864, filed on Nov. 16, 2021, granted, now 11,706,138.
Application 17/527,864 is a continuation of application No. 15/368,282, filed on Dec. 2, 2016, granted, now 11,277,338, issued on Mar. 15, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/399,934, filed on Sep. 26, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0318973 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04L 45/00 (2022.01); H04L 12/28 (2006.01); H04L 45/302 (2022.01); H04L 45/64 (2022.01); H04L 45/74 (2022.01); H04L 67/10 (2022.01); H04L 67/63 (2022.01); H04L 69/325 (2022.01); H04L 41/5054 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 45/74 (2013.01) [H04L 45/00 (2013.01); H04L 45/306 (2013.01); H04L 45/38 (2013.01); H04L 45/64 (2013.01); H04L 67/10 (2013.01); H04L 67/63 (2022.05); H04L 69/325 (2013.01); H04L 41/5054 (2013.01); H04L 2212/00 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A first computing device comprising processing circuitry having access to memory, the processing circuitry configured to:
receive a first route advertisement comprising a service identifier that indicates an instance of a service function among one or more instances of the service function and a service function type for the instance of the service function;
receive a second route advertisement that defines a specific path for a service function chain, wherein the second route advertisement specifies:
a service path identifier identifying the specific path for the service function chain; and
one or more service indexes, wherein each of the one or more service indexes is associated with one or more service function instances, and wherein a first service index of the one or more service indexes comprises a service function type and a service identifier that, in combination, indicate the instance of the service function;
map the service function type and the service identifier to the instance of the service function indicated in the first route advertisement; and
send, based at least in part on the mapping, to a second computing device that hosts the instance of the service function, a packet having a header that includes the service path identifier.