Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for implementing conditional commands carried by network data packets. A data flow including a data packet is received. The data packet includes a conditional command. A condition and a command are obtained from the conditional command. The mechanism determines that the condition is satisfied. Based on the determination that the condition is satisfied, the command is executed to alter handling of the data flow, alter handling of the data packet, or alter a context for the data flow.

Abstract: A method implemented by a network element (NE) in a network, comprising receiving, by the NE, an advertisement comprising preferred path route (PPR) information representing a PPR from a source to a destination in the network, the PPR information comprising a PPR identifier (PPR-ID) and a plurality of PPR description elements (PPR-PDEs) each representing an element on the PPR, receiving, by the NE, a data packet comprising the PPR-ID, and forwarding, by the NE, the data packet having the PPR-ID to a next element on the PPR based on the plurality of PPR-PDEs.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed operating a transport network function (TNF) as part of a fifth generation wireless (5G) virtualized control plane. The mechanism includes receiving a request to compute a traffic engineering (TE) path in a 5G transport network for a packet data unit (PDU) session, the request received from a 5G virtualized control plane function via a service based interface (SBI) bus. Network topology information for the 5G transport network is obtained via a northbound interface (Nn). A TE path across the 5G transport network is computed for the PDU session based on the network topology information. A TE path identifier for the TE path computed for the PDU session is returned via the SBI bus.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for implementing conditional commands carried by network data packets. A data flow including a data packet is received. The data packet includes a conditional command. A condition and a command are obtained from the conditional command. The mechanism determines that the condition is satisfied. Based on the determination that the condition is satisfied, the command is executed to alter handling of the data flow, alter handling of the data packet, or alter a context for the data flow.

Abstract: The present technology discloses data communication in a network. A node in the network receives an internet protocol (IP) data packet. The IP data packet has a header and a payload. The node performs actions on the IP data packet based on specifications in the header of the IP data packet. The node then forwards the IP data packet based on the specifications in the header of the IP data packet to a next hop node in the network.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed operating a transport network function (TNF) as part of a fifth generation wireless (5G) virtualized control plane. The mechanism includes receiving a request to compute a traffic engineering (TE) path in a 5G transport network for a packet data unit (PDU) session, the request received from a 5G virtualized control plane function via a service based interface (SBI) bus. Network topology information for the 5G transport network is obtained via a northbound interface (Nn). A TE path across the 5G transport network is computed for the PDU session based on the network topology information. A TE path identifier for the TE path computed for the PDU session is returned via the SBI bus.

Abstract: A Self-Describing Packet block (SDPB) is defined that allows concurrent processing of various fixed headers in a packet block defined to take advantage of multiple cores in a networking node forwarding path architecture. SPDB allows concurrent processing of various pieces of header data, metadata, and conditional commands carried in the same data packet by checking a serialization flag set upon creation of the data packet, without needing to serialize the processing or even parsing of the packet. When one or h more commands in one or more sub-blocks may be processed concurrently, the one or more commands are distributed to multiple processing resources for processing the commands in parallel. This architecture allows multiple unique functionalities each with their own separate outcome (execution of commands, doing service chaining, performing telemetry, allows virtualization and path steering) to be performed concurrently with simplified packet architecture without incurring additional encapsulation overhead.

Abstract: A method for communicating a data packet, the method includes receiving a data packet that supports a packet wash operation. The method determines whether the data packet can be forwarded along a network path towards a destination node without any modification. If the data packet cannot be forwarded along the network path towards the destination node without modification, the method determines whether conditions are met for performing the packet wash operation on the data packet. If the conditions are met, the packet wash operation is performed to generate a washed data packet. The packet wash operation generates the washed data packet by modifying a size of a payload of the data packet based on a packet wash specification that associates attributes to a plurality of data payload portions of the payload of the data packet. The washed data packet is forwarded along the network path towards the destination node.

Abstract: A method implemented by a network element (NE) in a network, comprising receiving, by the NE, an advertisement comprising preferred path route (PPR) information and backup PPR information, the PPR information describing a PPR between a source and a destination in the network, the backup PPR information describing a backup PPR between the source and the destination, the PPR information comprising a PPR identifier (PPR-ID) and a plurality of PPR description elements (PPR-PDEs) each representing an element on the PPR, updating, by the NE, a local forwarding database to include the PPR information and the backup PPR information in association with a destination address of the destination, and transmitting, by the NE, a data packet based on the backup PPR information instead of the PPR information in response to an element on the PPR being unavailable due to a failure of an element along the PPR.

Abstract: A method implemented by a network element (NE) in a network receiving, by the NE, an advertisement comprising preferred path route (PPR) information describing a path from an ingress NE to an egress NE in the network, the PPR information comprising a PPR identifier (PPR-ID) and an attribute associated with a resource to be reserved on the PPR, transmitting, by the NE, the advertisement comprising the PPR-ID and the attribute associated with the resource to be reserved on the PPR to another NE in the network, and updating, by the NE, a local forwarding database to include the PPR information in association with the egress NE in response to the NE being identified in the PPR information.

Abstract: A method of routing a data packet through a network comprises updating at least one router local forwarding table to include path IDs of network segments defining paths between network nodes and network function bit encoding/decoding information. In response to a data packet arriving at an ingress network node, an encapsulation header including a path ID identifying at least one network segment of an explicit routing path and a bit encoding specifying network functions to be performed on the data packet are encapsulated in unused portions of the source address and/or the destination address in the encapsulation header. A network node in the explicit routing path performs a network function encoded in the source address and/or the destination address of the encapsulation header of the data packet and forwards the data packet based on network function bit encoding/decoding and path ID information in the network node's local updated local forwarding table.

Abstract: A method of routing a data packet through a network comprises updating at least one router local forwarding table to include path IDs of network segments defining paths between network nodes and network function bit encoding/decoding information. In response to a data packet arriving at an ingress network node, an encapsulation header including a path ID identifying at least one network segment of an explicit routing path and a bit encoding specifying network functions to be performed on the data packet are encapsulated in unused portions of the source address and/or the destination address in the encapsulation header. A network node in the explicit routing path performs a network function encoded in the source address and/or the destination address of the encapsulation header of the data packet and forwards the data packet based on network function bit encoding/decoding and path ID information in the network node's local updated local forwarding table.

Abstract: A method for communicating a data packet, the method includes receiving a data packet that supports a packet wash operation. The method determines whether the data packet can be forwarded along a network path towards a destination node without any modification. If the data packet cannot be forwarded along the network path towards the destination node without modification, the method determines whether conditions are met for performing the packet wash operation on the data packet. If the conditions are met, the packet wash operation is performed to generate a washed data packet. The packet wash operation generates the washed data packet by modifying a size of a payload of the data packet based on a packet wash specification that associates attributes to a plurality of data payload portions of the payload of the data packet. The washed data packet is forwarded along the network path towards the destination node.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed operating a transport network function (TNF) as part of a fifth generation wireless (5G) virtualized control plane. The mechanism includes receiving a request to compute a traffic engineering (TE) path in a 5G transport network for a packet data unit (PDU) session, the request received from a 5G virtualized control plane function via a service based interface (SBI) bus. Network topology information for the 5G transport network is obtained via a northbound interface (Nn). A TE path across the 5G transport network is computed for the PDU session based on the network topology information. A TE path identifier for the TE path computed for the PDU session is returned via the SBI bus.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for implementing conditional commands carried by network data packets. A data flow including a data packet is received. The data packet includes a conditional command. A condition and a command are obtained from the conditional command. The mechanism determines that the condition is satisfied. Based on the determination that the condition is satisfied, the command is executed to alter handling of the data flow, alter handling of the data packet, or alter a context for the data flow.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for implementing conditional commands carried by network data packets. A data flow including a data packet is received. The data packet includes a conditional command. A condition and a command are obtained from the conditional command. The mechanism determines that the condition is satisfied. Based on the determination that the condition is satisfied, the command is executed to alter handling of the data flow, alter handling of the data packet, or alter a context for the data flow.

Abstract: A method implemented by a network element (NE) in a network, comprising receiving, by the NE, an advertisement comprising preferred path route (PPR) information and backup PPR information, the PPR information describing a PPR between a source and a destination in the network, the backup PPR information describing a backup PPR between the source and the destination, the PPR information comprising a PPR identifier (PPR-ID) and a plurality of PPR description elements (PPR-PDEs) each representing an element on the PPR, updating, by the NE, a local forwarding database to include the PPR information and the backup PPR information in association with a destination address of the destination, and transmitting, by the NE, a data packet based on the backup PPR information instead of the PPR information in response to an element on the PPR being unavailable due to a failure of an element along the PPR.

Abstract: A method implemented by a network element (NE) in a network receiving, by the NE, an advertisement comprising preferred path route (PPR) information describing a path from an ingress NE to an egress NE in the network, the PPR information comprising a PPR identifier (PPR-ID) and an attribute associated with a resource to be reserved on the PPR, transmitting, by the NE, the advertisement comprising the PPR-ID and the attribute associated with the resource to be reserved on the PPR to another NE in the network, and updating, by the NE, a local forwarding database to include the PPR information in association with the egress NE in response to the NE being identified in the PPR information.

Abstract: A network device includes a statelet storage storing statelets that retain state information associated with a packet flow through the network device and that the network device can interact with to control processing performed on packets of the data flow. The network device implements a set of instructions that interpret commands in the data packets to manage and interact with statelets. The statelets in the statelet storage are organized by a statelet key that is derived from information identifying the packet flow. Responsive to the commands in the packets, the network device can create, read, write, or delete statelets from the statelet storage. The statelet storage includes multiple statelets each statelet including multiple fields. The network device may access the statelets to control/monitor a packet flow using information in a network data plane without receiving control information from a network control plane.

Abstract: An autonomous system (AS) comprising a topology transparent zone (TTZ) comprising a plurality of TTZ nodes, wherein the plurality of TTZ nodes includes an edge node and an internal node, wherein each of the plurality of TTZ nodes is configured to connect to another TTZ node via an internal link, and a plurality of neighboring external nodes connected to the TTZ edge nodes via a plurality of external links, wherein no link state advertisements (LSAs) describing the internal links are distributed to the neighboring external nodes.