METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ENCODING LOCAL PROCESSING METADATA IN NETWORK HEADERS

Abstract: disclosed are systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media to encode network functions in a packet header. a method includes receiving a first packet from a source device that is to be delivered to a destination address through a network; determining a route to the destination address; identifying at least one network function for the first packet; encapsulating the first packet in a second packet, wherein a header of the second packet includes the route to the destination address in a destination address field and local processing metadata associated with the at least one network function in a source address field; and forwarding the second packet to a next network node of the network identified in the destination address.

Inventor(s): Clarence Filsfils, Pablo Camarillo Garvia, Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed Abdelsalam, Francois Clad

CPC Classification: H04L45/566 ({Routing instructions carried by the data packet, e.g. active networks})

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