A switch for offloading service function chain management, the switch comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memory devices having stored therein a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the switch to: receive a network packet from a source endpoint node communicatively coupled to the switch; update metadata for the network packet, wherein the metadata is based on one or more of a plurality of service functions of a service function chain, the one or more of the plurality of the service functions being executed at a computing node communicatively coupled to the switch and configured to process the network packet based on the metadata; forward, subsequent to having inserted the metadata into the network packet, the network packet to a first service function of the plurality of service functions; receive, subsequent to having forwarded the network packet to the service function, feedback from the service function, wherein the feedback identifies a result of processing of the received network packet by the first service function; replicate the network packet; update, subsequent to having received the feedback, the metadata of the replicated network packet based on the feedback received from the first service function and a next service function of the service function chain; and forward, subsequent to updating the metadata of the replicated network packet, the updated network packet to a next service function of the service function chain, characterized in that the plurality of instructions further cause the switch to update, in response to having received the feedback from the first service function, one or more of the service functions based on the feedback received from the first service function one or more processors; and one or more memory devices having stored therein a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the switch to: receive a network packet from a source endpoint node communicatively coupled to the switch; update metadata for the network packet, wherein the metadata is based on one or more of a plurality of service functions of a service function chain, the one or more of the plurality of the service functions being executed at a computing node communicatively coupled to the switch and configured to process the network packet based on the metadata; forward, subsequent to having inserted the metadata into the network packet, the network packet to a first service function of the plurality of service functions; receive, subsequent to having forwarded the network packet to the service function, feedback from the service function, wherein the feedback identifies a result of processing of the received network packet by the first service function; replicate the network packet; update, subsequent to having received the feedback, the metadata of the replicated network packet based on the feedback received from the first service function and a next service function of the service function chain; and receive a network packet from a source endpoint node communicatively coupled to the switch; update metadata for the network packet, wherein the metadata is based on one or more of a plurality of service functions of a service function chain, the one or more of the plurality of the service functions being executed at a computing node communicatively coupled to the switch and configured to process the network packet based on the metadata; forward, subsequent to having inserted the metadata into the network packet, the network packet to a first service function of the plurality of service functions; receive, subsequent to having forwarded the network packet to the service function, feedback from the service function, wherein the feedback identifies a result of processing of the received network packet by the first service function; replicate the network packet; update, subsequent to having received the feedback, the metadata of the replicated network packet based on the feedback received from the first service function and a next service function of the service function chain; and forward, subsequent to updating the metadata of the replicated network packet, the updated network packet to a next service function of the service function chain, characterized in that the plurality of instructions further cause the switch to update, in response to having received the feedback from the first service function, one or more of the service functions based on the feedback received from the first service function