In recent years, Segment Routing over IPv6 (SRv6) has gained attention as a key technology for building more flexible, programmable, and service-aware networks. By encoding instructions, called segments, directly into IPv6 headers, SRv6 enables advanced traffic steering, simplified network management, and new mobile and cloud networking possibilities. Among its behaviours, the End.MAP endpoint function plays an essential role in traffic engineering and service chaining.

At the same time, extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF) has emerged as a lightweight yet powerful framework for running custom programs inside the Linux kernel without modifying kernel source code. Its ability to attach programs dynamically to packet processing pipelines makes it a strong candidate for implementing and experimenting with SRv6 endpoint functions. Compared to static kernel modules, eBPF offers flexibility, safety, and ease of deployment, though with some trade-offs in complexity and performance. This thesis will therefore focus on the design and implementation of the End.MAP SRv6 endpoint function using eBPF, with the aim of understanding its practical benefits, limitations, and applicability in future networking scenarios.

Supervisor at the department:        Dr. László Bokor, associate professor

External supervisor:                        Ákos Leiter, research engineer, Nokia Bell Labs