Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes one or more processors and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to the one or more processors. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to perform operations including receiving a first type-length-value (TLV) associated with a winning flexible algorithm definition (FAD) from a first element of a network. The operations also include determining a security level for the winning FAD based on the TLV. The operations further include determining a data transmission route through a plurality of elements of the network based on the security level for the winning FAD.

Abstract: Techniques for optimizing technologies related to network path tracing and network delay measurements are described herein. Some of the techniques may include using an IPv6 header option and/or segment identifier field of a segment list or a TLV of a segment routing header as a telemetry data carrier. The techniques may also include using an SRv6 micro-segment (uSID) instruction to indicate to a node of a network that the node is to perform one or more path tracing actions and encapsulating the packet and forward. Additionally, the techniques may include using short interface identifiers corresponding to node interfaces to trace a packet path through a network. Further, the techniques may include using short timestamps to determine delay measurements associated with sending a packet through a network. In various examples, the techniques described above and herein may be used with each other to optimize network path tracing and delay measurement techniques.

Abstract: Techniques for optimizing technologies related to network path tracing and network delay measurements are described herein. Some of the techniques may include using an IPv6 header option and/or segment identifier field of a segment list or a TLV of a segment routing header as a telemetry data carrier. The techniques may also include using an SRv6 micro-segment (uSID) instruction to indicate to a node of a network that the node is to perform one or more path tracing actions and encapsulating the packet and forward. Additionally, the techniques may include using short interface identifiers corresponding to node interfaces to trace a packet path through a network. Further, the techniques may include using short timestamps to determine delay measurements associated with sending a packet through a network. In various examples, the techniques described above and herein may be used with each other to optimize network path tracing and delay measurement techniques.

Abstract: Techniques for processing path tracing probe packets using hardware (e.g., hardware memory of a node) and without the involvement of a path tracing collector component of a network controller. A source node may be configured to generate and assign random flow labels to a large number of probe packets and send them through the network to a sink node. The sink node may determine whether a flow indicated by the probe packet has previously been traversed. Additionally, the sink node may determine latency values associated with the flows, and store probe packets in corresponding latency bins. The latency bins may be stored in hardware memory of the sink node. Telemetry data representing the probe packets stored in the latency bins may be sent to a network controller for further network analysis.

Abstract: Techniques for providing an optimized behavior to source node(s) of a path tracing sequence allowing for implementation of path tracing source node behavior on an ASIC with edit-depth limitations and/or on an ASIC that does not have access to the full 64-bit timestamp. A source node having optimized behavior may be configured to record a first full 64-bit timestamp in an SRH PT-TLV header of a probe packet using the CPU of the source node. A source node having the optimized behavior may also be configured to compute a midpoint compressed data (MCD) entry and record the entry into an MCD stack of a probe packet using the NPU of the source node. A sink node and/or network controller may be configured to determine a final timestamp for the probe packet through the network by leveraging the SRH PT-TLV header and the MCD entry.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes a method includes receiving, by a headend node, network traffic. The method also includes determining, by the headend node, that the network traffic matches a service route. The method further includes steering, by the headend node, the network traffic into an SR-TE policy. The SR-TE policy is associated with the service route and includes a security level constraint.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for enabling packet path tracing (PT) in large diameter networks that would otherwise exceed a hop limit imposed by hardware edit-depth limitations. Upon determining that a Midpoint Compressed Data (MCD) stack of a packet header is full, a PT Encapsulation and Copy (PEC) enabled midpoint node can apply an encapsulation protocol that generates a new header grouping that encapsulates a previous header grouping therein, copies information from the previous header grouping into the new header grouping, and adds a new MCD stack to the packet header for further population of path tracing data and to ensure that the packet remains along the intended path. The encapsulation protocol ensures that the new header grouping remains within the edit-depth of each midpoint node encountered by the packet. The path tracing information can be combined at a controller resulting in full path information for the packet.

Abstract: Techniques for monitoring data transport in a network virtualization function chain (chain). A path tracing packet is generated having a Midpoint Compressed Data (MCD) to collect path tracing information of the chain. The network virtualization function node is configured to record an MCD containing Wide Local Path Tracing Identification (WL PT ID). The WL PT ID includes a first field having a value that indicates that a non-standard path tracing format is to be used and a second field that indicates a particular path tracing format to be used. The path tracing packet is passed through the chain and is received back after passing through the chain. Data collected by the path tracing packet is then analyzed to determine which network virtualization function nodes and chains the path tracing packet passed through and the amount of time taken for the path tracing packet to pass through the chain.

Abstract: Techniques for monitoring data transport in a network virtualization function (NVF) chain. A path tracing packet is generated having a Midpoint Compressed Data (MCD) to collect path tracing information of the NVF chain. The NVF node is configured to record an MCD containing Wide Local Path Tracing Identification (WL PT ID). The WL PT ID includes a first field having a value that indicates that a non-standard path tracing format is to be used and has a second field that indicates a particular path tracing format to be used. The path tracing packet is passed through the NVF chain and is then received back again after passing through the NVF chain. Data collected by the path tracing packet is analyzed to determine which NVF nodes the path tracing packet passed through, and the amount of time taken for the path tracing packet to pass through, the NVF chain.

Abstract: Techniques for monitoring data transport in a network virtualization function chain (chain). A path tracing packet is generated having a Midpoint Compressed Data (MCD) to collect path tracing information of the chain. The network virtualization function node is configured to record an MCD containing Wide Local Path Tracing Identification (WL PT ID). The WL PT ID includes a first field having a value that indicates that a non-standard path tracing format is to be used and a second field that indicates a particular path tracing format to be used. The path tracing packet is passed through the chain and is received back after passing through the chain. Data collected by the path tracing packet is then analyzed to determine which network virtualization function nodes and chains the path tracing packet passed through and the amount of time taken for the path tracing packet to pass through the chain.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method by an apparatus of a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) network includes accessing an attestation token for the apparatus. The method further includes encoding the attestation token in a BGP signaling message. The method further includes sending the BGP signaling message with the encoded attestation token to a second apparatus of the BGP network.

Abstract: Techniques for monitoring data transport in a network virtualization function chain (chain). A path tracing packet is generated having a Midpoint Compressed Data (MCD) to collect path tracing information of the chain. The network virtualization function node is configured to record an MCD containing Wide Local Path Tracing Identification (WL PT ID). The WL PT ID includes a first field having a value that indicates that a non-standard path tracing format is to be used and a second field that indicates a particular path tracing format to be used. The path tracing packet is passed through the chain and is received back after passing through the chain. Data collected by the path tracing packet is then analyzed to determine which network virtualization function nodes and chains the path tracing packet passed through and the amount of time taken for the path tracing packet to pass through the chain.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a service chain data packet is instrumented as it is communicated among network nodes in a network providing service-level and/or networking operations visibility. The service chain data packet includes a particular header identifying a service group defining one or more service functions, and is a data packet and not a probe packet. A network node adds networking and/or service-layer operations data to the particular service chain data packet, such as, but not limited to, in the particular header. Such networking operations data includes a performance metric or attribute related to the transport of the particular service chain packet in the network. Such service-layer operations data includes a performance metric or attribute related to the service-level processing of the particular service chain data packet in the network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN) is implemented using Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) Segment Routing (SRv6) underlay network and SRv6-enhanced Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) signaling. A particular route associated with a particular Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) Segment Routing (SRv6) Segment Identifier (SID) is advertised in a particular route advertisement message of a routing protocol (e.g., BGP). The SID includes encoding representing a particular Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN) Layer 2 (L2) flooding Segment Routing end function of the particular router and a particular Ethernet Segment Identifier (ESI), with the particular SID including a routable prefix to the particular router. The particular router receives a particular packet including the particular SID; and in response, the particular router performs the particular EVPN end function on the particular packet.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes identifying, by a network component, a first segment identifier (SID) within a SID list. The first SID includes a first SID block and a first micro SID (uSID). The method also includes initializing, by the network component, a packing list of a uSID carrier with the first uSID of the first SID and initializing, by the network component, a packing block of the uSID carrier with the first SID block of the first SID. The method further includes initializing, by the network component, a remaining packing capacity of the packing list with a carrier capacity of the first SID and initializing, by the network component, an empty compressed SID list.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a service chain data packet is instrumented as it is communicated among network nodes in a network providing service-level and/or networking operations visibility. The service chain data packet includes a particular header identifying a service group defining one or more service functions, and is a data packet and not a probe packet. A network node adds networking and/or service-layer operations data to the particular service chain data packet, such as, but not limited to, in the particular header. Such networking operations data includes a performance metric or attribute related to the transport of the particular service chain packet in the network. Such service-layer operations data includes a performance metric or attribute related to the service-level processing of the particular service chain data packet in the network.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a packet tracing mechanism will be described that provides packet tracing information to a mobile network controller. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a data packet sent from a source node to a destination node; determining if the data packet is to be updated with packet tracing information; and upon determining that the data packet is to be updated, updating the packet tracing information of the data packet to include identification of the network device and an ingress timestamp of the data packet at the network device for a corresponding network controller to determining network routing policies.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a Segment Routing network node provides efficiencies in processing and communicating Internet Protocol packets in a network. This Segment Routing node typically advertises (e.g., using Border Gateway Protocol) its Segment Routing processing capabilities, such as Penultimate Segment Pop (PSP) and/or Ultimate Segment Pop (USP) of a Segment Routing Header (including in the context of a packet that has multiple Segment Routing Headers). Subsequently, an Internet Protocol Segment Routing packet having multiple Segment Routing Headers is received. The packet is processed according to a Segment Routing function, with is processing including removing a first one of the Segment Routing Headers and forwarding the resultant Segment Routing packet. The value of the Segments Left field in the first Segment Routing Header identifies to perform PSP when the value is one, to perform USP when the value is zero, or to perform other processing.

Abstract: Techniques for utilizing entropy labels of a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) label stack for performing monitoring operations (e.g., telemetry, performance measurement, OAM, etc.) without altering the MPLS label stack and/or packet path (e.g., ECMP path). The techniques may include determining, by a node of a network, to perform a monitoring operation associated with traffic that is to be sent along a path through the network. In some examples, the node may receive a packet that is to be sent along the path and encapsulate the packet with an MPLS header. The MPLS header may include an entropy label, entropy label indicator, or other label that is capable of carrying a flag indicating the monitoring operation to be performed. The flag may be carried in a TTL field or traffic class field of the label such that the MPLS label stack is not altered to trigger the monitoring operation.

Abstract: In one embodiment, packets are forwarded in a network based on multiple compact forwarding identifiers represented in a single 128-bit Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) address, such as, but not limited to being in the destination address field of the IPv6 header (e.g., possibly in an extended IPv6 header). One embodiment follows the forwarding order of these multiple compact forwarding identifiers by respectively placing them in the single IPv6 address from high-order to lower-order bit positions. In one embodiment, a compact forwarding identifier prefix is part of the address represented by each compact forwarding identifier, typically with the compact forwarding identifier prefix stored in the highest-order bit positions. One embodiment uses a longest prefix matching operation to match the compact forwarding identifier to be used in determining how to next process the packet.