Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for performing network embedded real time service level objective (SLO) validation. The mechanism may be implemented by a network device including a processor configured to generate a data packet as part of a data flow, the data packet including a service level objective (SLO), the SLO indicating a network service threshold and including a key performance indicator (KPI), the KPI indicating a network service metric to be compared to the network service threshold; a transmitter coupled to the processor, the transmitter configured to transmit the data packet toward a network; and a receiver coupled to the processor, the receiver configured to receive a message, the message indicating to the network device whether a service provided by the network has met or violated the SLO.

Abstract: Techniques for exposing maximum node and/or link segment identifier depth using OSPF are described. A network element in a Segment Routing (SR) network transmits a Type Length Value (TLV) element including a Maximum Segment Identifier Depth (MSD) value utilizing OSPF. The MSD value identifies a maximum number of segment identifier (SID) labels that the network element is able to push into packet headers of received packets to enable forwarding of the received packets through the SR network. The network element receives, from a controller, data for a path to be utilized by the network element for forwarding the received packets through the SR network. The data includes one or more SID labels to be pushed into the received packets, and the SID labels have fewer than or equal to the MSD value. The controller and the network element do not utilize Path Computation Element Protocol (PCEP) over a southbound interface.

Abstract: A method implemented by a network element (NE) in a network, comprising receiving, by the NE, preferred path route (PPR) information comprising a PPR identifier (PPR-ID) and a plurality of PPR-Path Description Elements (PPR-PDEs), wherein a PPR-PDE describing the egress NE comprises a destination flag, an anycast PPR-ID, and an anycast group PPR-ID associated with the egress NE, and updating, by the NE, a forwarding database to include a forwarding entry for the egress NE, wherein the forwarding entry includes the PPR-ID, the anycast PPR-ID, and the anycast group PPR-ID, and wherein the forwarding entry indicates a next element on the PPR graph by which to forward an anycast data packet comprising the anycast PPR-ID.

Abstract: Techniques for exposing maximum node and/or link segment identifier depth using IS-IS are described. A network element in a Segment Routing (SR) network transmits a Type Length Value (TLV) element including a Maximum Segment Identifier Depth (MSD) value. The MSD value identifies a maximum number of segment identifier (SID) labels that the network element is able to push into packet headers of received packets to enable forwarding of the received packets through the SR network. The network element receives, from a controller, data for a path to be utilized by the network element for forwarding the received packets through the SR network. The data includes one or more SID labels to be pushed into the received packets, and the SID labels include fewer than or equal to the MSD value. The controller and the network element do not utilize the Path Computation Element Protocol (PCEP) over a southbound interface.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for implementing conditional commands carried by network data packets. A data flow including a data packet is received. The data packet includes a conditional command. A condition and a command are obtained from the conditional command. The mechanism determines that the condition is satisfied. Based on the determination that the condition is satisfied, the command is executed to alter handling of the data flow, alter handling of the data packet, or alter a context for the data flow.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for implementing conditional commands carried by network data packets. A data flow including a data packet is received. The data packet includes a conditional command. A condition and a command are obtained from the conditional command. The mechanism determines that the condition is satisfied. Based on the determination that the condition is satisfied, the command is executed to alter handling of the data flow, alter handling of the data packet, or alter a context for the data flow.

Abstract: Techniques for exposing maximum node and/or link segment identifier depth using OSPF are described. A network element in a Segment Routing (SR) network transmits a Type Length Value (TLV) element including a Maximum Segment Identifier Depth (MSD) value utilizing OSPF. The MSD value identifies a maximum number of segment identifier (SID) labels that the network element is able to push into packet headers of received packets to enable forwarding of the received packets through the SR network. The network element receives, from a controller, data for a path to be utilized by the network element for forwarding the received packets through the SR network. The data includes one or more SID labels to be pushed into the received packets, and the SID labels have fewer than or equal to the MSD value. The controller and the network element do not utilize Path Computation Element Protocol (PCEP) over a southbound interface.

Abstract: A method implemented by a network element (NE) in a network, comprising receiving, by the NE, preferred path route (PPR) information describing a PPR graph, the PPR graph representing a plurality of PPRs between an ingress NE and an egress NE in the network, and updating, by the NE, a forwarding database to include a forwarding entry for the egress NE in response to identifying the NE in the plurality of PPR-PDEs, the forwarding entry indicating a next hop by which to forward a data packet comprising the PPR-ID.

Abstract: Techniques for exposing maximum node and/or link segment identifier depth using IS-IS are described. A network element in a Segment Routing (SR) network transmits a Type Length Value (TLV) element including a Maximum Segment Identifier Depth (MSD) value. The MSD value identifies a maximum number of segment identifier (SID) labels that the network element is able to push into packet headers of received packets to enable forwarding of the received packets through the SR network. The network element receives, from a controller, data for a path to be utilized by the network element for forwarding the received packets through the SR network. The data includes one or more SID labels to be pushed into the received packets, and the SID labels include fewer than or equal to the MSD value. The controller and the network element do not utilize the Path Computation Element Protocol (PCEP) over a southbound interface.

Abstract: A method implemented by a firewall device in a network, comprising storing, by a memory, a firewall policy comprising information indicating whether to forward a data packet from a sending host entity to a receiving host entity, receiving, by a receiver, a data packet from a sending host entity, wherein the data packet includes an identifier of the receiving host entity, and determining, by a processor coupled to the memory and the receiver, whether to forward the data packet to the receiving host entity based on the firewall policy and the identifier of the receiving host entity.

Abstract: A method implemented in a domain in a multi-domain network, comprising maintaining a link state database (LSDB) comprising information describing a topology of the domain, receiving, from a network element (NE) in an area of the domain, preferred path route (PPR) information describing a PPR from a source to a destination in the area, the PPR information comprising a PPR identifier (PPR-ID) and a plurality of PPR description elements (PPR-PDEs) each representing an element on the PPR, and constructing an end-to-end path between the source and the destination based on the PPR information.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for performing data plane based routing during a handover. The mechanism includes executing a user plane function (UPF). An uplink packet is received from a user equipment (UE) anchored to a fifth generation radio access network (5G) base station (gNB). The uplink packet includes a change destination command, a destination field, and metadata including a destination address for the uplink packet. A change destination command in the uplink packet is executed by setting the destination field of the uplink packet to the destination address in the metadata. The uplink packet is transmitted to the destination address set in the destination field.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for performing implementing an operational flow profile. An initial packet is received that is associated with a flow. The initial packet contains a header including conditional commands related to an operational flow profile. The conditional commands are executed to initialize a state of an operational flow profile by allocating memory to store results of an aggregation function applied to the flow. A subsequent packet associated with the flow is received. The aggregation function is applied to the subsequent packet. Results of the aggregation function are stored to update the state of the operational flow profile.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for performing network embedded real time service level objective (SLO) validation. A first data packet is received as part of a data flow. The first data packet includes a SLO indicating a network service threshold, the SLO including a key performance indicator (KPI) indicating a network service metric to be compared to the network service threshold. A service provided by the network device is measured according to the network service metric indicated by the KPI to obtain a measured service result. The measured service result is compared to the network service threshold indicated by the SLO to determine when the service provided by the network device has violated the SLO. Based on the determination that the service has violated the SLO, a defined action is performed.

Abstract: A method implemented by a network element (NE) in a network, comprising receiving, by the NE, an advertisement comprising preferred path route (PPR) information and backup PPR information, the PPR information describing a PPR between a source and a destination in the network, the backup PPR information describing a backup PPR between the source and the destination, the PPR information comprising a PPR identifier (PPR-ID) and a plurality of PPR description elements (PPR-PDEs) each representing an element on the PPR, updating, by the NE, a local forwarding database to include the PPR information and the backup PPR information in association with a destination address of the destination, and transmitting, by the NE, a data packet based on the backup PPR information instead of the PPR information in response to an element on the PPR being unavailable due to a failure of an element along the PPR.

Abstract: A method implemented by a network element (NE) in a network receiving, by the NE, an advertisement comprising preferred path route (PPR) information describing a path from an ingress NE to an egress NE in the network, the PPR information comprising a PPR identifier (PPR-ID) and an attribute associated with a resource to be reserved on the PPR, transmitting, by the NE, the advertisement comprising the PPR-ID and the attribute associated with the resource to be reserved on the PPR to another NE in the network, and updating, by the NE, a local forwarding database to include the PPR information in association with the egress NE in response to the NE being identified in the PPR information.

Abstract: A network device includes a statelet storage storing statelets that retain state information associated with a packet flow through the network device and that the network device can interact with to control processing performed on packets of the data flow. The network device implements a set of instructions that interpret commands in the data packets to manage and interact with statelets. The statelets in the statelet storage are organized by a statelet key that is derived from information identifying the packet flow. Responsive to the commands in the packets, the network device can create, read, write, or delete statelets from the statelet storage. The statelet storage includes multiple statelets each statelet including multiple fields. The network device may access the statelets to control/monitor a packet flow using information in a network data plane without receiving control information from a network control plane.

Abstract: A method implemented by a network element (NE) in a network, comprising receiving, by the NE, an advertisement comprising preferred path route (PPR) information representing a PPR from a source to a destination in the network, the PPR information comprising a PPR identifier (PPR-ID) and a plurality of PPR description elements (PPR-PDEs) each representing an element on the PPR, receiving, by the NE, a data packet comprising the PPR-ID, and forwarding, by the NE, the data packet having the PPR-ID to a next element on the PPR based on the plurality of PPR-PDEs.

Abstract: A method implemented by a sending host entity comprises sending, by the sending host entity, a data packet to a receiving host entity, a source identifier field of the data packet comprising an anonymized identifier of the sending host entity, the anonymized identifier being a temporary identifier of the sending host entity, and sending, by the sending host entity to a distributed mapping system, a request for the distributed mapping system to send information identifying the sending host entity to the receiving host entity.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for implementing conditional commands carried by network data packets. A data flow including a data packet is received. The data packet includes a conditional command. A condition and a command are obtained from the conditional command. The mechanism determines that the condition is satisfied. Based on the determination that the condition is satisfied, the command is executed to alter handling of the data flow, alter handling of the data packet, or alter a context for the data flow.