US 12,407,600 B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for smartswitch service chaining
Christian Paul Sommers, Bangor, CA (US); and Peter J. Marsico, Chapel Hill, NC (US)
Assigned to KEYSIGHT TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Santa Rosa, CA (US)
Filed by Keysight Technologies, Inc., Santa Rosa, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 3, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/979,897.
Prior Publication US 2024/0154896 A1, May 9, 2024
Int. Cl. H04L 45/0377 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 45/0377 (2022.05) 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for smartswitch service chaining, the method comprising:
at a smartswitch controller implemented using at least one processor:
receiving service chain configuration information indicating a service chain involving services performed using data processing units (DPUs) in at least one smartswitch, wherein the service chain configuration information includes a network testing objective and, in response to receiving the network testing objective;
automatically determining DPUs in the at least one smartswitch for implementing service agents (SAs) to achieve the network testing objective;
deploying the SAs on the DPUs;
deploying a first network testing, monitoring, and/or security system (NTMSS) agent (NA) external to the at least one smartswitch and causing the first NA to send test traffic to the at least one smartswitch;
deploying a second NA external to the at least one smartswitch and causing the second NA to function as a network tap to copy the test traffic transmitted to the at least one smartswitch and traffic transmitted by the at least one smartswitch;
generating, using the service chain configuration information, one or more switching rules for causing the test traffic at the at least one smartswitch to be directed to the DPUs implementing the SAs; and
providing the one or more switching rules to the at least one smartswitch or a management entity for implementing the one or more switching rules at the at least one smartswitch, wherein the smartswitch controller includes a network packet broker controller; and
executing a test by sending the test traffic from the first NA to the at least one smartswitch, processing the test traffic using the SAs implemented on the DPUs, and copying the test traffic and the traffic transmitted by the smartswitch using the second NA.