A method for forwarding a packet, and a network device are provided. According to the method a first packet can be received. The first packet includes first indication information, payload data, and a packet sequence number of the first packet in a data flow corresponding to the first packet. When the first network device determines that the first packet includes the first indication information, a plurality of second packets can be generated based on the first packet. Each of the plurality of second packets includes the payload data, the packet sequence number, and second indication information. The plurality of second packets can be separately forwarded to a second network device over different forwarding paths in a plurality of forwarding paths.

Various example embodiments for supporting packet forwarding in communication networks are described. Various example embodiments for supporting packet forwarding in communication networks may be configured to support packet forwarding in label switched packet networks. Various example embodiments for supporting packet forwarding in label switched packet networks may utilize a variable-sized label value field to encode label values within a header of a label switched packet. Various example embodiments for supporting packet forwarding in label switched packet networks may utilize a variable-sized label value field to encode label values within a label stack in a header of a label switched packet. Various example embodiments for supporting packet forwarding in label switched packet networks may encode a label value within a label stack in a header of a label switched packet using a variable-sized label value field having a size that is based on the label value.

Provided are a packet forwarding method based on BIER-TE, a node device and a storage medium. The method includes: acquiring X bit string sub-package structures from a BIER-TE based message; and forwarding the message according to the X bit string sub-package structures, where X is greater than or equal to 1.

Methods for tracing a packet in a pipeline comprising a set of tables, in an SDN using OpenFlow. The packet comprises a trace bit, and is provided with a TTL value. A first network node indicates to a second network node to have each flow table decrement the TTL value by 1, based upon the trace bit. The first network node initially sets the TTL to be 1, and then sends the packet to a first table in the second network node. The first network node receives the packet, from another table in the set, and for every remaining table, and one table at a time: a) increments the TTL value by 1, and b) repeats the sending, and the receiving, until a last table is reached or a criterion is met. The first network node then indicates a route followed by the packet.

For a network including multiple computers acting as tunnel endpoints in a network, some embodiments provide a method for distributing data messages among processors of a destination computer that receives encrypted data messages from a source computer. Each computer in some embodiments has a set of interfaces configured as tunnel endpoints connecting to multiple tunnels. The encrypted data messages are received at multiple interfaces of the destination computer and in some embodiments, include an identifier for a set of encryption parameters (e.g., a security parameter index). The encryption-parameter-set identifier is used to distribute encrypted data messages among processors of the destination computer.

Embodiments of this application provide a traffic flow processing method. The method includes: generating and configuring first configuration information for a first edge node and second configuration information for the first relay node, where the first configuration information is used to: replicate a data packet included in a received traffic flow to obtain a first data packet and a second data packet, output, to a first relay node, the obtained first data packet, and output, to a second relay node, the obtained second data packet; generating and configuring second configuration information for the first relay node, where the second configuration information is used to: replicate the first data packet to obtain a third data packet and a fourth data packet, output, to the second relay node, the obtained third data packet, and obtain and output a first received data packet between the obtained fourth data packet and a fifth data packet received from the second relay node.

Methods and systems may use a software-defined network (SDN) based approach for interworking different types of nodes. In an example, an SDN controller may include components that assist in building pseudowires across Ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) nodes and Border gateway protocol-virtual private local area network (LAN) service (BGP-VPLS) nodes.

Presented herein is an “In-situ OAM” (IOAM) mechanism that uses a Segment Routing-Multiprotocol Label Switching (SR-MPLS) IOAM segment identifier that can selectively collect IOAM data from “target” network nodes along a data packet path. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a first network node in the SR-MPLS network, a data packet that includes an MPLS label stack comprising a plurality of segment identifiers (SIDs) associated with a plurality of network nodes. The MPLS label stack includes a first SID associated with the first network node. The method includes determining whether the first SID is an IOAM SID or a regular SID. Upon determining that the first SID is the IOAM SID, the method includes implementing an IOAM function at the first network node. Upon determining that the first SID is the regular SID, the method includes processing the data packet without implementing an IOAM function.

A segment routing device receives a first packet from a first network. A first packet header of the first packet includes a segment list. The segment list includes a plurality of sequentially arranged identifiers. The identifiers include a first-type identifier and a plurality of second-type identifiers. Network devices or links identified by the first-type identifier and the second-type identifier are respectively on the first network and a second network. A type of the first network is different from a type of the second network. The segment routing device encapsulates a second packet header for the first packet to form a second packet. The second packet header includes the plurality of second-type identifiers. The segment routing device sends the second packet to the second network.

A system and method are disclosed for enabling interoperability between asymmetric and symmetric Integrated Routing and Bridging (IRB) modes. A system is configured to receive a route advertisement, examine the label fields of the route advertisement, and determine whether Layer 2 or Layer 3 information is conveyed. The system is further configured to build a route advertisement to advertise to a second device based on whether Layer 2 or Layer 3 information is conveyed in the first route advertisement.