IP Library Granted Patent US 12707335
Granted Patent B2
US 12707335 · App. 18/361,192 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Packet forwarding method, packet processing method, and device

Inventors: Xuesong Geng (Beijing, CN); Jie Dong (Beijing, CN); Dawei Fan (Beijing, CN)
Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
H04W28/16H04L41/0893
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12707335
App. No.
18/361,192
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of this application provide a packet forwarding method, a packet processing method, and a device, to determine a network slice that corresponds to a packet and that is of a transport network. The packet forwarding method includes the following steps: A first device obtains a first packet. The first device is a network device in an access network or in a mobile core network. The first device determines network slice mapping information based on the first packet. The first device generates a second packet based on the first packet. The second packet includes the network slice mapping information. The first device sends the second packet to a second device. The second device is a network device in a transport network.

Claims (57)

1 . A network device, applied to a first device in an access network or in a mobile core network, wherein the network device comprises:

one or more memories storing instructions; and

one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories and configured to execute the instructions, wherein executing the instructions causes the network device to:

obtain a first packet;

determine network slice mapping information based on the first packet;

generate a second packet based on the first packet, wherein the second packet comprises the network slice mapping information; and

send the second packet to a second device, wherein the second device is a network device in a transport network, and the network slice mapping information is used by the second device to determine a network slice that forwards the second packet and that is of the transport network;

wherein the second packet is generated by adding the network slice mapping information to a packet header of the first packet, or by generating a new packet header comprising the network slice mapping information and encapsulating the new packet header and data carried in the first packet into the second packet.

2 . The network device according to claim 1 , wherein the network slice mapping information comprises one or more of the following:

a quality of service parameter, a virtual private network (VPN) identifier, a quality of service parameter identifier, a service slice identifier, a resource slice identifier, or a transport network slice identifier.

3 . The network device according to claim 1 , wherein the network slice mapping information comprises a first network slice identifier, and the first network slice identifier identifies a network slice that transmits the first packet and that is of the access network, or identifies a network slice that transmits the first packet and that is of the core network.

4 . The network device according to claim 1 , wherein executing the instructions further causes the network device to:

determine a first network slice identifier based on the first packet, wherein the first network slice identifier identifies a network slice that transmits the first packet and that is of the access network, or identifies a network slice that transmits the first packet and that is of the core network; and

determine the network slice mapping information based on the first network slice identifier.

5 . The network device according to claim 4 , wherein the network device stores a correspondence between the first network slice identifier and the network slice mapping information, and wherein executing the instructions further causes the network device to:

determine the network slice mapping information based on the first network slice identifier and the correspondence.

6 . The network device according to claim 1 , wherein executing the instructions further causes the network device to:

determine the network slice mapping information based on attribute information of the first packet; or

determine the network slice mapping information based on requirement information for transmitting the first packet.

7 . The network device according to claim 3 , wherein executing the instructions further causes the network device to:

determine the first network slice identifier based on one or more of a service identifier, a flow identifier, or a user identifier of the first packet.

8 . The network device according to claim 1 , wherein the second packet comprises any one or more of an internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) extension header, an IPv6 basic header, an Ethernet header, or a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) header, and wherein the any one or more of the IPv6 extension header, the IPv6 basic header, the Ethernet header, or the MPLS header carry the network slice mapping information.

9 . The network device according to claim 8 , wherein the IPv6 extension header comprises one or more of the following:

a hop-by-hop options header, a destination options header, a routing header, or a segment routing header.

10 . The network device according to claim 8 , wherein the network slice mapping information is carried in a type-length-value (TLV) field of the IPv6 extension header.

11 . The network device according to claim 8 , wherein the network slice mapping information is carried in any one or more of a source address field, a destination address field, or a flow label field of the IPv6 basic header.

12 . The network device according to claim 8 , wherein the Ethernet header comprises a virtual local area network identifier (VLAN ID) field, and the network slice mapping information is carried in the VLAN ID field.

13 . The network device according to claim 1 , wherein the first device is a base station or customer premises equipment, and the second device is a router or a switch.

14 . A network device, applied to a second network device in a transport network, wherein the network device comprises:

one or more memories storing instructions; and

one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories and configured to execute the instructions, wherein executing the instructions causes the network device to:

receive a second packet from a first device, wherein the second packet comprises network slice mapping information, and the first device is a network device in an access network or in a mobile core network, wherein the second packet has the network slice mapping information in a packet header, or comprises an encapsulated new packet header having the network slice mapping information and further comprises encapsulated data from a first packet;

determine a corresponding network slice of the transport network based on the network slice mapping information; and

send the second packet using a network resource corresponding to the network slice of the transport network.

15 . The network device according to claim 14 , wherein the network slice mapping information comprises one or more of the following:

a virtual private network (VPN) identifier, a quality of service parameter identifier, a service slice identifier, a resource slice identifier, or a transport network slice identifier.

16 . The network device according to claim 14 , wherein the network slice mapping information comprises one or more of the following:

a first network slice identifier or a quality of service parameter, wherein the first network slice identifier identifies a network slice that transmits the first packet and that is of the access network, or identifies a network slice that transmits the first packet and that is of the core network.

17 . The network device according to claim 16 , wherein executing the instructions further causes the network device to:

determine a slice identifier of the corresponding network slice of the transport network based on the network slice mapping information and a correspondence, wherein the correspondence is between the network slice mapping information and a transport network slice identifier, and the transport network slice identifier is a slice identifier of the network slice of the transport network; and

wherein executing the instructions further causes the network device to:

send the second packet by using a network resource corresponding to the transport network slice identifier.

18 . The network device according to claim 14 , wherein the second packet comprises any one or more of an internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) extension header, an IPv6 basic header, an Ethernet header, or an MPLS header, and wherein the any one or more of the IPv6 extension header, the IPv6 basic header, the Ethernet header, or the MPLS header carry the network slice mapping information.

19 . The network device according to claim 18 , wherein the IPv6 extension header comprises one or more of the following:

a hop-by-hop options header, a destination options header, a routing header, or a segment routing header.

20 . A network system comprising:

a first device in an access network or in a mobile core network; and

a second device in a transport network;

wherein the first device is configured to:

obtain a first packet;

determine network slice mapping information based on the first packet;

generate a second packet based on the first packet, wherein the second packet comprises the network slice mapping information, wherein the second packet is generated by adding the network slice mapping information to a packet header of the first packet, or by generating a new packet header comprising the network slice mapping information and encapsulating the new packet header and data carried in the first packet into the second packet; and

send the second packet to the second device; and

wherein the second device is configured to:

receive the second packet from the first device;

determine a corresponding network slice of the transport network based on the network slice mapping information; and

send the second packet using a network resource corresponding to the network slice of the transport network.