Service function chain sfc-based communication method, and apparatus

Abstract

An SFC-based communications method and system, and an apparatus are provided. The SFC includes a CF node, an SFF node, and an SF node, and the SFF node is connected to the SF node. The method includes: receiving, by the CF node, a first message from the SFF node; obtaining, by the CF node, network topology information of the SFC based on the first message; obtaining, by the CF node, an SFC forwarding table, where the SFC forwarding table is determined based on the network topology information of the SFC; and sending, by the CF node to the SFF node, a second message used to indicate the SFC forwarding table. In this way, a network topology of the SFC can be flexibly and efficiently discovered.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A service function chain (SFC) based communication method, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a control node, a first message from a service function forwarder (SFF) node, wherein the first message comprises identification information of the SFF node, and identification information and attribute information of a service function (SF) node, the attribute information of the SF node for indicating a specific service function that can be implemented by the SF node;   obtaining, by the control node, information of the SFC based on the first message, wherein the information of the SFC comprises the identification information of the SFF node, and the identification information and the attribute information of the SF node that has a connection relationship with the SFF node;   determining, by the control node, SFC forwarding information based on the information of the SFC; and   sending, by the control node to the SFF node, a second message, wherein the second message comprises the SFC forwarding information.   
     
     
         2 . The communication method according to  claim 1 , wherein the receiving, by the control node, a first message from the SFF node comprises:
 receiving, by the control node, the first message from the SFF node in a multicast manner.   
     
     
         3 . The communication method according to  claim 1 , wherein the receiving, by the control node, a first message from the SFF node comprises:
 receiving, by the control node, the first message from the SFF node in a flood manner.   
     
     
         4 . The communication method according to  claim 1 , wherein a protocol used for the first message is one of the Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS) protocol or the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol, and the first message comprises an SFF field used to indicate the identification information of the SFF node, and an SF field used to indicate the identification information and the attribute information of the SF node. 
     
     
         5 . The communication method according to  claim 1 , wherein the sending, by the control node to the SFF node, a second message used to indicate the SFC forwarding information comprises:
 sending, by the control node, the second message to the SFF node in a multicast manner.   
     
     
         6 . The communication method according to  claim 1 , wherein the sending, by the control node to the SFF node, a second message used to indicate the SFC forwarding information comprises:
 sending, by the control node, the second message to the SFF node in a flood manner.   
     
     
         7 . The communication method according to  claim 1 , wherein an entry of the SFC forwarding information comprises indication information used to indicate a service function path, and the indication information comprises the identification information of the SFF node and at least one of the identification information or the attribute information of the SF node. 
     
     
         8 . The communication method according to  claim 7 , wherein a protocol used for the second message is one of the Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS) protocol or the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol. 
     
     
         9 . The communication method according to  claim 1 , wherein the communication method further comprises:
 sending, by the control node in a multicast manner or a flood manner, a third message comprising identification information and attribute information of the control node to the SFF node, wherein a protocol used for the third message is one of the Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS) protocol or the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol, and the third message comprises a control field used to indicate the identification information and the attribute information of the control node.   
     
     
         10 . The communication method according to  claim 1 , wherein the SFC forwarding information used by the SFF node to forward traffic to the SF node and to forward processed traffic received from the SF node to a next hop SFF node of the SFF node based on the SFC forwarding information. 
     
     
         11 . A service function chain (SFC) based communication method, the method comprising:
 sending, by a first service function forwarder (SFF) node, a first message to the control node, wherein the first message comprises identification information of the first SFF node, and identification information and attribute information of a first service function (SF) node, wherein the first message is used to indicate the control node to obtain information of the SFC based on the first message, wherein the information of the SFC comprises the identification information of the first SFF node, and the identification information and the attribute information of the first SF node that has a connection relationship with the first SFF node, the attribute information of the first SF node for indicating a specific service function that can be implemented by the first SF node;   receiving, by the first SFF node from the control node, a second message, wherein the second message comprises SFC forwarding information, wherein the SFC forwarding information is determined based on the information of the SFC; and   forwarding, by the first SFF node, traffic to the first SF node based on the SFC forwarding information.   
     
     
         12 . The communication method according to  claim 11 , wherein the sending, by the first SFF node, a first message to the control node comprises:
 sending, by the first SFF node, the first message to the control node in a multicast manner.   
     
     
         13 . The communication method according to  claim 11 , wherein the sending, by the first SFF node, a first message to the control node comprises:
 sending, by the first SFF node, the first message to the control node in a flood manner.   
     
     
         14 . The communication method according to  claim 11 , wherein the receiving, by the first SFF node from the control node, a second message used to indicate an SFC forwarding information comprises:
 receiving, by the first SFF node, the second message from the control node in a multicast manner.   
     
     
         15 . The communication method according to  claim 11 , wherein the receiving, by the first SFF node from the control node, a second message used to indicate SFC forwarding information comprises:
 receiving, by the first SFF node, the second message from the control node in a flood manner.   
     
     
         16 . The communication method according to  claim 11 , wherein an entry of the SFC forwarding information comprises indication information used to indicate a service function path, and the indication information comprises the identification information of the first SFF node and at least one of the identification information and the attribute information of the first SF node. 
     
     
         17 . The communication method according to  claim 11 , wherein the communication method further comprises:
 receiving, by the first SFF node in a multicast manner or a flood manner, a third message comprising identification information and attribute information of the control node from the control node, wherein a protocol used for the third message is one of the Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS) protocol or the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol, and the third message comprises a control field used to indicate the identification information and the attribute information of the control node.   
     
     
         18 . The communication method according to  claim 11  further comprising:
 receiving, by the first SFF node, a fourth message from a second SFF node in the SFC in one of a flood manner or a multicast manner, wherein the fourth message comprises identification information of the second SFF node, and identification information and attribute information of a second SF node that has a connection relationship with the second SFF node, and the first SFF node and the second SFF node are different SFF nodes; 
 obtaining, by the first SFF node, the information of the SFC based on the fourth message; and 
 sending, by the first SFF node, the first message to the second SFF node in a flood manner or a multicast manner, so that the second SFF node obtains the information of the SFC based on the first message. 
 
     
     
         19 . The communication method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 forwarding, by the first SFF node, processed traffic received from the first SF node to a next hop SFF node of the first SFF node based on the SFC forwarding information.   
     
     
         20 . A control node in a service function chain (SFC), the control node comprises:
 a non-transitory memory storing instructions; and   a processor coupled to the non-transitory memory wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the control node to:   receive a first message from a service function forwarder (SFF) node, wherein the first message comprises identification information of the SFF node, and identification information and attribute information of a service function (SF) node, the attribute information of the SF node for indicating a specific service function that can be implemented by the SF node;   obtain information of the SFC based on the first message received by the control node, wherein the information of the SFC comprises the identification information of the SFF node, and the identification information and the attribute information of the SF node that has a connection relationship with the SFF node;   determine SFC forwarding information based on the information of the SFC that is obtained by the control node; and   to send, to the SFF node, a second message to the SFF node, wherein the second message comprises the SFC forwarding information used by the SFF node to forward traffic to the SF node and to forward processed traffic received from the SF node to a next hop SFF node of the SFF node based on the SFC forwarding information.   
     
     
         21 . The control node according to  claim 20 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the control node to receive the first message from the SFF node in a multicast manner. 
     
     
         22 . The control node according to  claim 20 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the control node to receive the first message from the SFF node in a flood manner. 
     
     
         23 . The control node according to  claim 20 , wherein an entry of the SFC forwarding information comprises indication information used to indicate a service function path, and the indication information comprises the identification information of the SFF node and at least one of the identification information and the attribute information of the SF node. 
     
     
         24 . The control node according to  claim 20 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the control node to send, in a multicast manner or a flood manner, a third message comprising identification information and attribute information of the control node to the SFF node, wherein a protocol used for the third message is one of the Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS) protocol or the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol, and the third message comprises a control field used to indicate the identification information and the attribute information of the control node. 
     
     
         25 . The control node according to  claim 20 , wherein the SFC forwarding information used by the SFF node to forward traffic to the SF node and to forward processed traffic received from the SF node to a next hop SFF node of the SFF node based on the SFC forwarding information. 
     
     
         26 . A first service function forwarder (SFF) node in a service function chain (SFC), the first SFF node comprises:
 a non-transitory memory storing instructions; and   a processor coupled to the non-transitory memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause a first service function forwarder (SFF) node to:   send a first message to the control node, wherein the first message comprises identification information of the first SFF node, and identification information and attribute information of a first service function (SF) node, wherein the first message is used to indicate the control node to obtain information of the SFC based on the first message, wherein the information of the SFC comprises the identification information of the first SFF node, the identification information and the attribute information of the first SF node that has a connection relationship with the first SFF node, the attribute information of the first SF node for indicating a specific service function that can be implemented by the first SF node;   receive, from the control node, a second message, wherein the second message comprises SFC forwarding information, wherein the SFC forwarding information is obtained based on the information of the SFC; and   forward traffic to the first SF node based on the SFC forwarding information received by the first SFF node.   
     
     
         27 . The first SFF node according to  claim 26 , wherein an entry of the SFC forwarding information comprises indication information used to indicate a service function path, and the indication information comprises the identification information of the first SFF node and at least one of the identification information and the attribute information of the first SF node. 
     
     
         28 . The first SFF node according to  claim 26 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the first SFF node to receive, in a multicast manner or a flood manner, a third message comprising identification information and attribute information of the control node from the control node, wherein a protocol used for the third message is one of the Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS) protocol or the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol, and the third message comprises a control field used to indicate the identification information and the attribute information of the control node. 
     
     
         29 . The first SFF node according to  claim 26 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the first SFF node to:
 receive a fourth message from a second SFF node in the SFC in a flood manner or a multicast manner, wherein the fourth message comprises identification information of the second SFF node, and identification information and attribute information of a second SF node that has a connection relationship with the second SFF node;   obtain the information of the SFC based on the fourth message received by the first SFF node, and   send the first message to the second SFF node in a flood manner or a multicast manner, so that the second SFF node obtains the information of the SFC based on the first message.   
     
     
         30 . The first SFF node according to  claim 26 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the first SFF node to:
 forward processed traffic received from the first SF node to a next hop SFF node of the first SFF node based on the SFC forwarding information received by the first SFF node.