Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method of operating a network node of a communication network is provided, the network node being connected to a downstream network node, and to a non-downstream loop free alternate (LFA) network node comprising a load balancing identifier indicating whether it is allowed to load balance the data packet via a non-downstream LFA network node or not; changing, if the load balancing identifier indicates that it is allowed to load balance the data packet via a non-downstream LFA network node, and if the network node decides to load balance the data packet via the non-downstream LFA network node, the load balancing identifier of the data packet such that it indicates that a further load balancing of the data packet via a further non-downstream LFA network node is not allowed; and forwarding the thus modified data packet to the non-downstream LFA network node.

Abstract: A network element of a software-defined networking (SDN) system forwards IP packet fragments without reassembly is disclosed. The network element receives an IP packet fragment and determines whether the fragment is the first fragment of an original IP packet. If the fragment is the first fragment, then fields in the first fragment that are associated with open systems interconnection layers (OSI) 4-7 are retrieved and placed in an entry in a fragment information table so that the entry is associated with the original IP packet. If the received fragment is not the first fragment, then a matching entry in the fragment information table is to be identified and the associated OSI layers 4-7 information is retrieved for processing the non-first fragment.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method of operating a network node of a communication network is provided, the network node being connected to a downstream network node, and to a non-downstream loop free alternate (LFA) network node comprising a load balancing identifier indicating whether it is allowed to load balance the data packet via a non-downstream LFA net-work node or not; changing, if the load balancing identifier indicates that it is allowed to load balance the data packet via a non-downstream LFA network node, and if the network node decides to load balance the data packet via the non-downstream LFA network node, the load balancing identifier of the data packet such that it indicates that a further load balancing of the data packet via a further non-downstream LFA network node is not allowed; and forwarding the thus modified data packet to the non-downstream LFA network node.

Abstract: A network element of a software-defined networking (SDN) system forwards IP packet fragments without reassembly is disclosed. The network element receives an IP packet fragment and determines whether the fragment is the first fragment of an original IP packet. If the fragment is the first fragment, then fields in the first fragment that are associated with open systems interconnection layers (OSI) 4-7 are retrieved and placed in an entry in a fragment information table so that the entry is associated with the original IP packet. If the received fragment is not the first fragment, then a matching entry in the fragment information table is to be identified and the associated OSI layers 4-7 information is retrieved for processing the non-first fragment.