US 12,483,500 B1
Encoding forwarding policy data in multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) labels
Kireeti Kompella, Los Altos, CA (US); Vishnu Pavan Beeram, Hyderabad (IN); Swamy Sadashivaiah Renu Kananda, Cupertino, CA (US); Jonathan C. Barth, Collegeville, PA (US); Tarek Saad, Ottawa (CA); Chandrasekar Ramachandran, Bangalore (IN); and Srihari Ramachandra Sangli, Bengaluru (IN)
Assigned to Juniper Networks, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed by Juniper Networks, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 11, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/448,777.
Application 18/448,777 is a continuation of application No. 17/527,806, filed on Nov. 16, 2021, granted, now 11,770,331.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04L 45/50 (2022.01); H04L 47/20 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 45/50 (2013.01) [H04L 47/20 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a network device, a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) packet destined for a destination via a label-switched path;
determining, by the network device, to apply a special purpose label (SPL) option for a label stack of the MPLS packet;
applying, by the network device and based on a result of the determining, the SPL option for the label stack, via a policy indicator and policy data,
wherein the policy data continues after the label stack appears to end, the policy data continues after the label stack appears to end and the label stack continues and ends after the policy data ends, the policy data is provided after the label stack appears to end and the label stack and the policy data end together, or the policy data is provided after the label stack appears to end and the label stack continues and ends after the policy data ends; and
forwarding, by the network device and based on applying the SPL option for the label stack, the MPLS packet to a hop of the label-switched path.