Method for implicit session routing

摘要

An example method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving a packet of a session from a previous hop router at a service zone of a service chain; recording the previous hop router for the session; determining an appliance to service the packet in the service zone using load balancing; recording an appliance identity for servicing the session in the service zone; determining a next hop router in the service chain for the packet using load balancing; and recording the next hop router for the session.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a service router, a packet of a session from a previous hop router at a service zone of a service chain, wherein the packet comprises a first packet of the session, the service chain comprises a plurality of service zones each having a plurality of service routers, and ones of the plurality of service zones store session entries comprising previous hop and next hop information for the session independently from others of the plurality of service zones; recording, by the service router, the previous hop router for the session in a session entry within a routing table of the service router; determining, by the service router, an appliance to service the packet in the service zone using load balancing; recording, by the service router, an appliance identity for servicing the session in the service zone, wherein the appliance identity identifies the appliance; transmitting the packet from the service router to the appliance based on the appliance identity; receiving, by the service router, a serviced packet from the appliance, wherein the appliance has serviced the packet by applying a function to the contents of the packet to generate the serviced packet; determining, by the service router, a next hop router in the service chain for the packet using load balancing; recording, by the service router, the next hop router for the session in another session entry within the routing table of the service router, wherein the next hop router is located at another service zone; and routing the serviced packet from the service router to the next hop router located at the another service zone, wherein subsequent packets of the session received in the service zone are transmitted to the appliance for service and serviced packets corresponding to the subsequent packets are routed to the next hop router, wherein the ones of the plurality of service routers in each of the plurality of service zones determine routing decisions based on the session entries independently stored at each of the plurality of service zones and without requiring explicit signalling between the plurality of service zones, and wherein at least one service router in each of the plurality of service zones is operable to perform the method as the first packet is routed through the service chain.