US 12,294,524 B2
Service function chaining in stateful network
Bhavit Shah, Germantown, MD (US)
Assigned to Hughes Network Systems, LLC, Germantown, MD (US)
Filed by Hughes Network Systems, LLC, Germantown, MD (US)
Filed on Aug. 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/894,195.
Prior Publication US 2024/0073145 A1, Feb. 29, 2024
Int. Cl. H04L 47/2425 (2022.01); H04L 12/66 (2006.01); H04L 45/74 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 47/2425 (2013.01) [H04L 12/66 (2013.01); H04L 45/74 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A network comprising:
a computer comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the computer is programmed to:
based on a service function policy for a first type of packet, determine a first service function chain to apply to outbound packets of the first type that arrive at a serving gateway, the first service function chain including a set of services;
upon classifying a first outbound packet arriving at the serving gateway as the first type based on an identifier of the first outbound packet, route the first outbound packet to the set of services of the first service function chain;
map the identifier to the first type such that the mapping is accessible by a packet gateway;
determine a second service function chain to apply to inbound packets of the first type that arrive at the packet gateway, the second service function chain including the same set of the services as the first service function chain; and
upon classifying a first inbound packet arriving at the packet gateway as the first type based on the mapped identifier, route the first inbound packet to the set of services of the second service function chain.