Name-Based Service Function Forwarder (nSFF) Component within aService Function Chaining (SFC) Framework

Adoption of cloud and fog technology allows operators to deploy a single "Service Function" to multiple "Execution locations". The decision to steer traffic to a specific location may change frequently based on load, proximity etc. Under the current SFC framework, steering traffic dynamically to the different execution end points require a specific 're-chaining', i.e., a change in the service function path reflecting the different IP endpoints to be used for the new execution points. This procedure may be complex and take time. In order to simplify re-chaining and reduce the time to complete the procedure, we discuss separating the logical Service Function Path from the specific execution end points. This can be done by identifying the Service Functions using a name rather than a routable IP endpoint (or Layer 2 address). This document describes the necessary extensions, additional functions and protocol details in SFF (Service Function Forwarder) to handle name based relationships. This document presents InterDigital's approach to name-based service function chaining. It does not represent IETF consensus and is presented here so that the SFC community may benefit from considering this mechanism and the possibility of its use in the edge data centers.