Abstract: Resource rationing for network slices in segment routing networks may be provided. A network slice may be created in a communication network. A portion of network resource may be dedicated to the network slice. The dedicated portion of network resource may be bound to the network slice using a segment identifier. The segment identifier may be advertised to the communication network. Data packets associated with the network slice may be routed using the dedicated portion of network resource.

Abstract: In one embodiment, segment routing network processing of packets is performed on segment routing packets to use engineered segment routing reverse reply paths which provide efficiencies in communicating packets in a network. In one embodiment, a source node selects a segment identifier of a destination node, with the segment identifier specifying a function value of a dynamic return path segment routing function in order to invoke this function on the destination node. The source node then sends a segment routing packet to the destination address of this segment identifier. Reacting to receipt of this packet and the function value of the dynamic return path segment routing function in the destination address or current segment identifier of the packet, a receiving node generates a responding segment routing packet including the segment identifiers from the received packet in reverse traversal order.

Abstract: Techniques for in-situ passive performance measurement are described. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a data packet at a first network element, determining whether measurement information is to be collected for the data packet, providing one or more measurement fields for the data packet based on a determination that measurement information is to be collected for the data packet in which at least one measurement field identifies a measurement type, and forwarding the data packet to a second network element. The method further includes determining, by the second network element, the measurement type for the data packet, and performing one or more actions based on the measurement type.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a packet comprising a destination address in a destination address field of the packet, where the destination address including at least a first global identifier and a second global identifier, determining that the first global identifier corresponds to the first network apparatus, determining that a local identifier in the destination address is associated with the first global identifier, identifying one or more instructions associated with the local identifier, performing one or more functions instructed by the one or more instructions, updating the destination address in the destination field of the packet to an updated destination address, determining a forwarding rule associated with the packet, and forwarding the packet with the updated destination address based on the forwarding rule.

Abstract: In one illustrative example, a network node (e.g. a router or switch) may receive a data packet and timestamp a copy of the data packet. The node may also compute a signature for the copy and insert the signature in a header of the copy. The node may send the copy to a controller for correlation with one or more other timestamped data packet copies of the data packet from one or more other network nodes having the same signature and for the computation of delay. The original data packet may be forwarded to a next network node without any timestamp or other metadata added to it. The processing of the data packets may be performed as part of a function for punting the timestamped data packet copy and forwarding, or as a function for forwarding and punting the timestamped data packet copy.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosed technology provide virtualized solutions for processing media frames. A process of the disclosed technology can include steps for receiving unprocessed media packets, de-packetizing the unprocessed media packets to produce unprocessed media frames, and sending the unprocessed media frames to a virtual media application. In some aspects, the process may further include steps for processing the unprocessed media frames, using the virtual media application, to produce processed media frames. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.

Abstract: Network interworking with no cross-domain state may be provided. First, an edge node may receive a packet from an intermediate node in a first domain. The edge node may be between the first domain and a second domain. Next, the edge node may pop, in response to a first Service Identifier (SID) in the packet, headers corresponding to the first domain from the packet. The edge node may then push, in response to the first SID, a label stack corresponding to the second domain onto the packet. The first SID may include data corresponding to the label stack. Then the edge node may route the packet to the second domain destine to an end node in the second domain.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for determining end-to-end path delay measurements. In one embodiment, a method includes identifying equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) sections comprising at least two different ECMP paths in a network comprising a plurality of nodes. In response to receiving a request to determine a delay measurement for end-to-end paths from an ingress node to an egress node through the network, the method includes determining sets of ECMP sections that are between the ingress node and the egress node and determining a plurality of paths through each set of ECMP sections. The method includes measuring delay for each of the plurality of paths using probe packets and determining delay measurements for all end-to-end paths. The delay measurements for end-to-end paths include a first subset including measured delays from the probe packets and a second subset calculated using combinations of measured delays.

Abstract: In one embodiment, segment routing (SR) network processing of packets is performed on packets having a segment identifier structure providing processing and/or memory efficiencies. Responsive to an identified particular segment routing policy, the particular router retrieves from memory a dynamic segment routing identifier portion of the particular SR policy that includes a SR node value and a SR function value. The SR function value identifies segment routing processing to be performed by a router in the network identified based on the SR node value. A segment routing discriminator is independently identified, possibly being a fixed value for all segment identifiers in the network. Before sending into the network, a complete segment identifier is added to the particular packet by combining the segment routing discriminator with the dynamic segment routing identifier portion. The particular packet including the complete segment identifier is sent into the network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, new Segment Routing capabilities are used in the steering of packets through Segment Routing nodes in a network. A Segment List includes a set of one or more Segment List (SL) Groups, each of which identifies one or more Segments contiguously or non-contiguously stored in the Segment List (or stored across multiple Segment Lists) of a Segment Routing packet. Each SL Group typically includes one Segment that is encoded as a Segment Identifier, and may include Segments that are Extended Values. The steering order of SL Groups is not required to be the same order as they are listed in the Segment List, as the value of Segments Left may be increased, remain the same, or decreased (possibly to skip a next SL Group) and possibly based on the result of an evaluation of a conditional expression.

Abstract: Techniques for implementing bi-directional paths in a segment routing communication network are described. A first segment routing policy, including a first path from a first node in the communication network to a second node in the communication network, is installed. A second segment routing policy, including a second path from the second node to the first node in the communication network, is installed. At the first node, a first identifier associated with the first segment routing policy is bound to a second association identifier associated with the second segment routing policy. At the second node, a second identifier associated with the second segment routing policy is bound to a first association identifier associated with the first segment routing policy.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for segment routing (SR) over label distribution protocol (LDP). In one embodiment, the method includes a node receiving a packet with an attached segment ID. In response, the node may attach a label to the packet. Thereafter, the node may forward the packet with the attached label and segment ID to another node via a label switched path (LSP).

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a packet comprising a destination address in a destination address field of the packet, where the destination address including at least a first global identifier and a second global identifier, determining that the first global identifier corresponds to the first network apparatus, determining that a local identifier in the destination address is associated with the first global identifier, identifying one or more instructions associated with the local identifier, performing one or more functions instructed by the one or more instructions, updating the destination address in the destination field of the packet to an updated destination address, determining a forwarding rule associated with the packet, and forwarding the packet with the updated destination address based on the forwarding rule.

Abstract: Various systems and methods for using strict path forwarding. For example, one method involves receiving an advertisement at a node. The advertisement includes a segment identifier (SID). In response to receiving the advertisement, the node determines whether the SID is a strict SID or not. If the SID is a strict SID, the node generates information, such as forwarding information that indicates how to forward packets along a strict shortest path corresponding to the strict SID.

Abstract: A method is described and in one embodiment includes receiving a packet of a traffic flow at an ingress node of a communications network; routing the packet to an egress node of the communications network via a first path comprising a tunnel if the packet was received from a node external to the communications network; and routing the packet to the egress node of the communications network via a second path that does not traverse the tunnel if the packet was received from a node internal to the communications network. The first path is identified by a first Forwarding Information Base (“FIB”) entry corresponding to the flow and the second path is identified by a second FIB entry corresponding to the flow.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a packet comprising a destination address in a destination address field of the packet, where the destination address including at least a first global identifier and a second global identifier, determining that the first global identifier corresponds to the first network apparatus, determining that a local identifier in the destination address is associated with the first global identifier, identifying one or more instructions associated with the local identifier, performing one or more functions instructed by the one or more instructions, updating the destination address in the destination field of the packet to an updated destination address, determining a forwarding rule associated with the packet, and forwarding the packet with the updated destination address based on the forwarding rule.

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: 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: 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 determining a path through a plurality of provider nodes within a provider network and determining that the path through the plurality of provider nodes within the provider network is secure. The operations also include receiving, from a customer node, a Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) path message comprising an attribute for a security request. The operations further include routing the RSVP path message along the path of the plurality of provider nodes.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method by an apparatus of a segment routing (SR) network includes receiving a data packet and accessing an attestation token for the apparatus. The method further includes determining a location within a header of the received data packet for the attestation token and creating an updated header by encoding the attestation token in the determined location of the header. The method further includes sending the updated header with the encoded attestation token to another apparatus of the SR network.