Described herein are methods and devices (e.g., routers) that add in-network services to a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network. A method can include a router of the MPLS network receiving a packet and modifying the packet by adding one or more MPLS extension headers, adding a header of the extension header(s), and adding an indication within an MPLS label stack that one or more MPLS extension headers have been added to the packet. The method can also include the router forwarding the packet as modified to another router of the MPLS network. In certain embodiments, an extension header label (EHL) within a label value field of a label stack entry indicates that one or more MPLS extension headers have been added to the packet. In other embodiments, a forward equivalent class (FEC) indicates that one or more MPLS extension headers follow the MPLS label stack.

Systems and methods are provided herein for allocating the same ESI label on multihomed peers for a given ES. In some embodiments, each network device that provides multihoming to a host using an ES, advertises EVPN AD per ES routes to each other, wherein the EVPN AD per ES routes comprise an ESI label associated with the ES. Because the network devices advertise the same ESI label for the ES, a first network device generates a bitmap. The first network device uses the bitmap to include the advertised ESI label in replicated packets that the first network device forwards to the other network devices that provide multihoming to the host via the ES. The network devices that consider themselves non-DF devices will drop the packet. The network devices that consider themselves the DF device will not forward the packet to the host via the ES because of the ESI label.

Techniques are described for automatic discovery of two or more virtual service instances configured to apply a given service to a packet in a software-defined networking (SDN)/network functions virtualization (NFV) environment. Virtual service instances may be deployed as virtual entities hosted on one or more physical devices to offer individual services or chains of services from a service provider. The use of virtual service instances enables automatic scaling of the services on-demand. The techniques of this disclosure enable automatic discovery by a gateway network device of virtual service instances for a given service as load balancing entities. According to the techniques, the gateway network device automatically updates a load balancing group for the given service to include the discovered virtual service instances on which to load balance traffic for the service. In this way, the disclosed techniques provide auto-scaling and auto-discovery of services in an SDN/NFV environment.

In one embodiment, a method includes processing network data models at a network device operating in a network comprising a plurality of network components, each of the network components associated with one of the network data models, performing semantic matching at the network device for at least two of the network data models, the semantic matching comprising computing labels for elements of the network data models utilizing label computation algorithms configured for notational conventions used in the network data models, computing contexts for the elements based on a hierarchy of each of the network data models, removing one or more of the labels used to form the contexts to create reduced contexts, and computing a semantic relationship for the reduced contexts of the network data models. The network data models are mapped at the network device based on the semantic matching for use in a network application. An apparatus and logic are also disclosed herein.

An apparatus and method is disclosed for segment routing (SR) over label distribution protocol (LDP). In one embodiment, the method includes a node receiving a packet with an attached segment ID. In response, the node may attach a label to the packet. Thereafter, the node may forward the packet with the attached label and segment ID to another node via a label switched path (LSP).

A method by a network device functioning as a provider edge (PE) in an ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) to prevent transient loops between multi-home peer PEs. The method includes advertising a first EVPN label to one or more PEs that are multi-home peer PEs of the PE, advertising a second EVPN label to one or more PEs that are not multi-home peer PEs of the PE, receiving first traffic for a CE that is encapsulated with the first EVPN label as opposed to the second EVPN label, and discarding the first traffic in response to determining that a link between the PE and the CE is not operational and the first traffic for the CE is encapsulated with the first EVPN label.

A data transmission method, a node, and a system, the method including receiving, by a forwarding node, a data packet, where a label stack of the data packet comprises a path identifier (path-ID), where the path-ID is an identifier of a constrained path, and where the constrained path is a path that consists of at least two nodes arranged in a specific order, determining, by the forwarding node, that the forwarding node is a node on the constrained path, selecting, by the forwarding node, a target label/target address from a local available label block/address block according to the path-ID and according to a preset rule, where the label block/address block comprises at least one label/address, searching for, by the forwarding node, a corresponding target interface according to the target label/target address, and forwarding, by the forwarding node, the data packet through the target interface.

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.

In one embodiment, a device obtains path metrics for a network path used to convey application traffic for an online application. The device discretizes the path metrics into labeled states. The device generates state transition visualization data that represents the labeled states as nodes and transitions between the labeled states as edges connecting the nodes. The device provides the state transition visualization data for display.

A router includes a memory configured to store a plurality of label spaces for each label space type used in a communication system. The plurality of label spaces store labels that identify virtual links between nodes of the communication system. The router also includes a processor configured to allocate a plurality of label space identifiers to the plurality of label spaces and to route packets based on labels and label space identifiers included in the packets. The router further includes a transceiver configured to transmit or receive the packets including the labels and the label space identifiers.