Abstract: In an example, a hierarchical chaining gateway (hCG) includes a first communication interface corresponding to a first domain using a first chaining protocol, and a second communication interface corresponding to a second domain using a second and different chaining protocol. The hCG receives a service packet including a first service function chain header via the first communication interface. The hCG also identifies a key identifier in the service packet, and retrieves a second service function chain header based on the key identifier. Then, the hCG transforms the service packet by substituting the first service function chain header corresponding to first domain in the service packet with the second service function chain header corresponding to the second domain. Next, the hCG transmits the service packet including the second service function chain header via the second communication interface corresponding to the second domain.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a data packet from a source endpoint included within a source endpoint group identified by a source endpoint group policy identifier, where the data packet includes a first multicast address. The method also includes transforming the data packet into a transformed data packet that includes a second multicast address constructed using the source endpoint group policy identifier and a multicast index that specifies a multicast forwarding policy between the source endpoint group and one or more destination endpoint groups identified by one or more destination endpoint group policy identifiers. The method further includes forwarding the transformed data packet toward one or more destination endpoints included within the one or more destination endpoint groups, with the forwarding being based on the second multicast address. The data packet may be routed using a forwarding path based on a multicast forwarding tree constructed for the second multicast address.

Abstract: Some examples herein disclose a load balancer to identify a service function among multiple service functions based on an available capacity. The load balancer modifies a switch address in the packet and distributes the packet to the identified service function based on the modified switch address.

Abstract: Examples include receiving a rule for communication between a first group and a second group of endpoints in a network. The network may include a plurality of networking devices. Examples include receiving a first identifier for the first group and a second identifier and a network address for the second group, receiving composition data of the network. Examples also include determining a topology of the network comprising a first number of communication paths and determining a reduced topology based on the rule, the first identifier, and the second identifier. The first number of paths may link a first networking device out of the plurality of networking devices to each device of the plurality of the networking devices. The second number of paths may link the first networking device to the second group.

Abstract: Examples include receiving a rule for communication between a first group and a second group of endpoints in a network. The network may include a plurality of networking devices. Examples include receiving a first identifier for the first group and a second identifier and a network address for the second group, receiving composition data of the network. Examples also include determining a topology of the network comprising a first number of communication paths and determining a reduced topology based on the rule, the first identifier, and the second identifier. The first number of paths may link a first networking device out of the plurality of networking devices to each device of the plurality of the networking devices. The second number of paths may link the first networking device to the second group.

Abstract: According to examples, an apparatus may include a processor and a memory on which is stored machine readable instructions. The instructions may cause the processor to intercept a packet from a downstream service function classifier, in which the packet includes metadata that specifies an ordered set of service functions within a service function chain to be implemented on the packet, generate a correlation cookie that associates the packet with the service function chain, and encode the correlation cookie into the packet. The instructions may also cause the processor to store the correlation cookie and the metadata in a cache to correlate the correlation cookie and the metadata and send the packet with the encoded correlation cookie to the service function provider.

Abstract: In an example, a hierarchical chaining gateway (hCG) includes a first communication interface corresponding to a first domain using a first chaining protocol, and a second communication interface corresponding to a second domain using a second and different chaining protocol. The hCG receives a service packet including a first service function chain header via the first communication interface. The hCG also identifies a key identifier in the service packet, and retrieves a second service function chain header based on the key identifier. Then, the hCG transforms the service packet by substituting the first service function chain header corresponding to first domain in the service packet with the second service function chain header corresponding to the second domain. Next, the hCG transmits the service packet including the second service function chain header via the second communication interface corresponding to the second domain.

Abstract: Some examples herein disclose a load balancer to identify a service function among multiple service functions based on an available capacity. The load balancer modifies a switch address in the packet and distributes the packet to the identified service function based on the modified switch address.

Abstract: According to examples, an apparatus may include a processor and a memory on which is stored machine readable instructions. The instructions may cause the processor to intercept a packet from a downstream service function classifier, in which the packet includes metadata that specifies an ordered set of service functions within a service function chain to be implemented on the packet, generate a correlation cookie that associates the packet with the service function chain, and encode the correlation cookie into the packet. The instructions may also cause the processor to store the correlation cookie and the metadata in a cache to correlate the correlation cookie and the metadata and send the packet with the encoded correlation cookie to the service function provider.

Abstract: In accordance with examples disclosed herein, a filter table for Media Access Control (MAC) chaining contains mappings between signature addresses, service functions, and management functions, to identify corresponding service function chains. The filter table is to store statistic information about the packet. A controller is to uniquely identify a management function corresponding to the signature address, and modify tables of packet signature addresses usable to modify the packet to cause the packet to be forwarded to the management function. The controller is to update the statistic information about the packet.

Abstract: In accordance with examples disclosed herein, a filter table for Media Access Control (MAC) chaining contains mappings between signature addresses, service functions, and management functions, to identify corresponding service function chains. The filter table is to store statistic information about the packet. A controller is to uniquely identify a management function corresponding to the signature address, and modify tables of packet signature addresses usable to modify the packet to cause the packet to be forwarded to the management function. The controller is to update the statistic information about the packet.

Abstract: An example device in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure includes identifying a service and/or management function among multiple functions based on an available capacity. Tables are updated to cause the packet to be forwarded to the identified function accordingly.

Abstract: One example provides a network device including a queue to receive frames from a source, a processor, and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions causing the processor, after execution of the instructions by the processor, to determine whether a flow control threshold of the queue has been exceeded, and in response to determining that the flow control threshold of the queue has been exceeded, generate a message to be sent to the source of the frame that exceeded the flow control threshold. The message includes a pause duration for which the source is to stop transmitting frames.

Abstract: A method may include determining whether a host destination address of a packet received at a particular switch of a switching fabric is associated with a virtual switch address. In response to a determination that the host destination address is associated with the virtual switch address, the method may also include encapsulating the packet with the virtual switch address as a destination fabric address, where the virtual switch address is associated with a virtual switch including a first physical switch and a second physical switch. The method may further include selecting one of the first physical switch and the second physical switch as a routing path. The method may further include routing the packet to the selected physical switch based on the virtual switch address and transmitting the packet from the selected physical switch to a client switch.

Abstract: In frame switched communication networks, information is forwarded from a source to a destination based on a destination address. In IEEE 802 networks these addresses are called Media Access Control (MAC) addresses. MAC addresses identify the source and destination station of each frame, however typically don't contain any subfields which identify the physical or logical location (or subnetwork) of the station. Such an address can be called a flat address. The entities of networks using IEEE 802 MAC addresses don't have methods for aggregating MAC addresses or for forwarding frames based on aggregates rather than station MAC addresses. The use of station MAC addresses for frame forwarding limits the scaling, lowers the efficiency, reduces the security and raises the cost of these networks. The method described here solves the MAC address aggregation problem by using a summary MAC address to represent an aggregate of summarized MAC addresses.

Abstract: One example includes a network device. The network device includes a queue to receive frames from a source, a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions causing the processor, after execution of the instructions by the processor, to deposit tokens into a first token bucket at a first rate, determine whether a frame length of a frame received by the queue is less than the tokens in the first token bucket, remove tokens from the first token bucket in response to the frame length being less than the tokens in the first token bucket, and generate a congestion notification message in response to the frame length not being less than the tokens in the first token bucket. Each token represents a unit of bytes of a predetermined size.

Abstract: One example provides a network device including a queue to receive frames from a source, a processor, and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions causing the processor, after execution of the instructions by the processor, to determine whether a flow control threshold of the queue has been exceeded, and in response to determining that the flow control threshold of the queue has been exceeded, generate a message to be sent to the source of the frame that exceeded the flow control threshold. The message includes a pause duration for which the source is to stop transmitting frames.

Abstract: One example provides a network device including a queue to receive in profile frames and out of profile frames, a processor, and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions causing the processor, after execution of the instructions by the processor, to determine whether a predetermined operating point of the queue has been exceeded, and in response to determining that the predetermined operating point of the queue has been exceeded, forward the in profile frames, sample the out of profile frames, and generate a congestion notification message for each sampled out of profile frame to be sent to a source of the out of profile frames to reduce the transmission rate of frames.

Abstract: A system and method are provided to route packets in a data center network. Individual packets are encapsulated at an edge of the data center network, so that each encapsulated packet includes a set of header fields, such as a tenant identifier. For each encapsulated packet, a hash class is determined from the set of header fields. A routing virtual local area network (VLAN) is selected for the packet based on the tenant identifier and the hash class.

Abstract: A system and method are provided to route packets in a data center network. Individual packets are encapsulated at an edge of the data center network, so that each encapsulated packet includes a set of header fields, such as a tenant identifier. For each encapsulated packet, a hash class is determined from the set of header fields. A routing virtual local area network (VLAN) is selected for the packet based on the tenant identifier and the hash class.