Verizon Communications Inc.
Systems and methods for providing external services to core network traffic

Abstract:

A network device, such as a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (PGW), may receive network traffic, determine traffic processing services associated with a subscriber corresponding to the traffic, and identify a sequence of external traffic processing components to provide traffic processing services as though the external traffic processing components where part of the core network. The network device may modify the traffic in accordance with the sequence of external traffic processing components and forward the traffic to the first external traffic processing component of the sequence. The network device may later receive the traffic from the last external traffic processing component of the sequence, process the traffic in accordance with instructions provided by the external traffic processing components, and forward the traffic in accordance with a destination address of the traffic.