Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for enabling existing or legacy network devices to handle packets defined in accordance with future-defined standards, without having to be re-configured to be compatible with these standards. A transmitting network device may generate packets, and may set in the packets indication fields (e.g., tag header type fields) to indicate when particular fields (e.g., tag header fields) are inserted into the packets, including unknown or newly-defined fields. The indication fields may enable a receiving device to handle the packets by skipping, when necessary, over these fields (e.g., including the unknown or newly-defined fields). The indication fields may, for example, identify for each packet a remaining portion to jump to without reading the inserted fields.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for enabling existing or legacy network devices to recognize and parse packets defined in accordance with future-defined standards, without having to be re-configured to be compatible with such standards. A transmitting network device may generate packets such that to enable receiving network devices to bypass, when processing the packets, unknown or newly-inserted fields, such as tag headers, in the packets, and to continue processing the remainder of the packet. This may be achieved by, for example, incorporating in the packets, when such unknown or newly-inserted are included in the packets, corresponding indication fields (e.g., tag header type fields) which may indicated that the unknown or newly-inserted are inserted. Further, indication fields may enable a receiving device to skip over these unknown or newly-inserted. For example, each tag header type filed may be associated with a particular tag header length of the corresponding tag header.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for enabling existing or legacy network devices to recognize and parse packets defined in accordance with future-defined standards, without having to be re-configured to be compatible with such standards. A transmitting network device may generate packets such that to enable receiving network devices to bypass, when processing the packets, unknown or newly-inserted fields, such as tag headers, in the packets, and to continue processing the remainder of the packet. This may be achieved by, for example, incorporating in the packets, when such unknown or newly-inserted are included in the packets, corresponding indication fields (e.g., tag header type fields) which may indicated that the unknown or newly-inserted are inserted. Further, indication fields may enable a receiving device to skip over these unknown or newly-inserted. For example, each tag header type filed may be associated with a particular tag header length of the corresponding tag header.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method allowing an existing or legacy network device to recognize and parse packets defined in accordance with future-defined standards without having to be re-configured to be compatible with such standards. In particular, the device can skip past unknown or newly-inserted fields, such as tag headers in a tagged packet, to parse and process the remainder of the packet. By skipping those added fields such as a tag header, the device can accommodate various future-defined standards without incurring additional engineering or design costs or compromising packet processing efficiency.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method allowing an existing or legacy network device to recognize and parse packets defined in accordance with future-defined standards without having to be re-configured to be compatible with such standards. In particular, the device can skip past unknown or newly-inserted fields, such as tag headers in a tagged packet, to parse and process the remainder of the packet. By skipping those added fields such as a tag header, the device can accommodate various future-defined standards without incurring additional engineering or design costs or compromising packet processing efficiency.