Packet Processing Method, Apparatus, and System

Abstract

A method includes receiving, by an ingress network element, a data packet, wherein an ingress flow entry is stored in the ingress network element. The ingress flow entry comprises flow description information and a processing network element indication, where the flow description information matches the data packet, and the processing network element indication is used to indicate a processing network element that processes the data packet after the ingress network element. The method further includes sending, by the ingress network element, the data packet to the processing network element according to the ingress flow entry, so that the processing network element performs context processing on the data packet.

In the claims: 
     
         1 . - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by an ingress network element, an ingress flow entry from a control network element, wherein the ingress flow entry comprises flow description information, a processing network element indication, an encapsulation flow identifier, and an encapsulation indication, and wherein the flow description information is usable to perform matching with to-be-processed data packets to identify matching to-be-processed data packets, the processing network element indication indicates a processing network element processing any identified matching to-be-processed data packets, and the encapsulation indication indicates attaching the encapsulation flow identifier to any identified matching to-be-processed data packets;   receiving, by the ingress network element, a first data packet; and   in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, attaching, by the ingress network element, the encapsulation flow identifier to the first data packet and sending the first data packet to the processing network element after the attaching.   
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the flow description information comprises:
 a source media access control (MAC) address;   a destination MAC address;   a source internet protocol (IP) address;   a destination IP address;   a source port number; or   a destination port number.   
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the ingress flow entry further comprises an ingress context processing indication, and the method further comprises:
 in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, performing a process indicated by the ingress context processing indication on the first data packet.   
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein encapsulation flow identifier identifies a service flow to which any matching data packets belong. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the attaching is based on a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) encapsulation manner. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the processing network element indication is a media access control (MAC) address, an internet protocol (IP) address, a domain name, or a self-defined identifier of the processing network element. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the processing network element indication includes a list of address information of a plurality of processing network elements, and the method further comprises:
 in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, attaching the list of address information of the plurality of processing network elements to the first data packet.   
     
     
         28 . An ingress network element, comprising:
 a processor; and   a computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to:
 receive an ingress flow entry from a control network element, wherein the ingress flow entry comprises flow description information, a processing network element indication, an encapsulation flow identifier, and an encapsulation indication, and wherein the flow description information is usable to perform matching with to-be-processed data packets to identify matching to-be-processed data packets, the processing network element indication indicates a processing network element processing any identified matching data packets, the encapsulation indication indicates attaching the encapsulation flow identifier to any identified matching data packet; 
   receive a first data packet; and   in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, attach the encapsulation flow identifier to the first data packet and send the first data packet to the processing network element after the attaching.   
     
     
         29 . The ingress network element according to  claim 28 , wherein the flow description information comprises:
 a source media access control (MAC) address;   a destination MAC address;   a source internet protocol (IP) address;   a destination IP address;   a source port number; or   a destination port number.   
     
     
         30 . The ingress network element according to  claim 28 , wherein the ingress flow entry further comprises an ingress context processing indication, and the programming further includes instructions to:
 in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, perform a process indicated by the ingress context processing indication on the first data packet.   
     
     
         31 . The ingress network element according to  claim 28 , wherein encapsulation flow identifier identifies a service flow to which any identified matching data packets belong. 
     
     
         32 . The ingress network element according to  claim 28 , wherein the attaching is based on a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) encapsulation manner. 
     
     
         33 . The ingress network element according to  claim 28 , wherein the processing network element indication is a media access control (MAC) address, an internet protocol (IP) address, a domain name, or a self-defined identifier of the processing network element. 
     
     
         34 . The ingress network element according to  claim 28 , wherein the processing network element indication includes a list of address information of a plurality of processing network elements, and the programming further includes instructions to:
 in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, attach the list of address information of a plurality of processing network elements to the first data packet.   
     
     
         35 . A packet processing system, comprising:
 a processing network element; and   an ingress network element, configured to:
 receive an ingress flow entry from a control network element, wherein the ingress flow entry comprises flow description information, a processing network element indication, an encapsulation flow identifier and an encapsulation indication, and wherein the flow description information is usable to perform matching with to-be-processed data packets to identify matching to-be-processed data packets, the processing network element indication indicates the processing network element processing any identified matching data packets, the encapsulation indication indicates attaching the encapsulation flow identifier to any identified matching data packet; 
 receive a first data packet; and 
 in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, attach the encapsulation flow identifier to the first data packet and send the first data packet to the processing network element after the attaching. 
   
     
     
         36 . The packet processing system according to  claim 35 , wherein the ingress flow entry further comprises an ingress context processing indication, and the ingress network element is further configured to:
 in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, perform a process indicated by the ingress context processing indication on the first data packet.   
     
     
         37 . The packet processing system according to  claim 35 , wherein the encapsulation flow identifier identifies a service flow to which any identified matching data packets belong. 
     
     
         38 . The packet processing system according to  claim 35 , wherein the ingress network element is configured to attach the encapsulation flow identifier to the first data packet based on a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) encapsulation manner. 
     
     
         39 . The packet processing system according to  claim 35 , wherein the processing network element indication is a media access control (MAC) address, an internet protocol (IP) address, a domain name, or a self-defined identifier of the processing network element. 
     
     
         40 . The packet processing system according to  claim 35 , wherein the processing network element indication includes a list of address information of a plurality of processing network elements, and ingress network element is further configured to:
 in response to determining that the first data packet matches the flow description information, attach the list of address information of the plurality of processing network elements to the first data packet.