Scripting for implementing policy-based traffic steering and management

• US 10,091,049 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2013
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Giacomoni, John, Vachharajani, Manish, Terrel, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Naoreen, Nazia
• Application Number:
  US13/970,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20140052838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,870 Days
• Field of Search: 709223, 703223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for managing network communications. A traffic manager module may receive a script over a management plane of a packet core, interpret the script to identify a traffic management policy; and dynamically modify at least one aspect of a proxy connection over a bearer plane of the packet core at the traffic manager module based on the identified traffic management policy.

Claims

1. A method of managing network communications, comprising:

receiving a script at a traffic manager module over a management plane of a packet core;

interpreting the script at the traffic manager module to identify a traffic management policy, wherein interpreting the script at the traffic manager module comprises loading a protocol driver defined by the script at the traffic manager module;

dynamically modifying at least one aspect of a proxy connection over a bearer plane of the packet core at the traffic manager module based on the identified traffic management policy, wherein dynamically modifying the at least one aspect of the proxy connection comprises using the protocol driver to communicate with one or more network devices based on the script; and

performing, based at least in part on the script, an application layer content inspection on a message associated with the proxy connection over the bearer plane;

wherein the protocol driver is loaded based at least in part on the application layer content inspection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically modifying the at least one aspect of the proxy connection comprises:

forwarding a message associated with the proxy connection over the bearer plane to at least one of the one or more network devices identified by the script.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically modifying the at least one aspect of the proxy connection comprises:

terminating a request associated with the proxy connection over the bearer plane; and

instructing a source of the request to reissue the request to a network device identified by the script.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically modifying the at least one aspect of the proxy connection comprises:

creating a storage object based on the script.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the protocol driver comprises a software extension and wherein dynamically modifying the at least one aspect of the proxy connection comprises:

loading the software extension defined by the script at the traffic manager module; and

using the software extension to communicate with one or more network devices based on the script.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically modifying the at least one aspect of the proxy connection comprises:

manipulating at least one object received at the traffic manager module over the proxy connection based on the script.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically altering the at least one aspect of the proxy connection comprises:

performing a demotion on one or more packets associated with the proxy connection based on the script.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the demotion comprises demoting the proxy connection to a lower network layer.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a new connection at the traffic manager module with a network device identified by the script received over the management plane of the packet core.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

manipulating a garbage collection operation of the traffic manager module based on the script.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying a system state of the traffic manager module based on the script.

12. A traffic manager module, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory communicably coupled with the at least one processor, the memory configured to store code that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to;

receive a script over a management plane of a packet core;

interpret the script at the traffic manager module to identify a traffic management policy, wherein interpreting the script at the traffic manager module comprises loading a protocol driver defined by the script at the traffic manager module;

dynamically modify at least one aspect of a proxy connection over a bearer plane of the packet core based on the identified traffic management policy, wherein dynamically modifying the at least one aspect of the proxy connection comprises using the protocol driver to communicate with one or more network devices based on the script; and

perform, based at least in part on the script, an application layer content inspection on a message associated with the proxy connection over the bearer plane;

wherein the protocol driver is loaded based at least in part on the application layer content inspection.

13. The traffic manager module of claim 12, wherein the code causes the at least one processor to dynamically modify the at least one aspect of the proxy connection by:

forwarding a message associated with the proxy connection over the bearer plane to at least one of the one or more network device identified by the script.

14. The traffic manager module of claim 12, wherein the code causes the at least one processor to dynamically modify the at least one aspect of the proxy connection by:

terminating a request associated with the proxy connection over the bearer plane; and

instructing a source of the request to reissue the request to a network device identified by the script.

15. The traffic manager module of claim 12, wherein the code causes the at least one processor to dynamically modify the at least one aspect of the proxy connection by:

creating a storage object based on the script.

16. The traffic manager module of claim 12, wherein the protocol driver comprises a software extension, and wherein the code causes the at least one processor to dynamically modify the at least one aspect of the proxy connection by:

loading the software extension defined by the script at the traffic manager module; and

using the software extension to communicate with one or more network devices based on the script.

17. The traffic manager module of claim 12, wherein the code causes the at least one processor to dynamically modify the at least one aspect of the proxy connection by:

manipulating at least one object received at the traffic manager module over the proxy connection based on the script.

18. The traffic manager module of claim 12, wherein the code causes the at least one processor to dynamically modify the at least one aspect of the proxy connection by:

performing a demotion on one or more packets associated with the proxy connection based on the script.

19. The traffic manager module of claim 18, wherein the demotion comprises demoting the proxy connection to a lower network layer.

20. The traffic manager module of claim 12, wherein the code causes the at least one processor to:

establishing a new connection at the traffic manager module with a network device identified by the script received over the management plane of the packet core.

21. The traffic manager module of claim 12, wherein the code causes the at least one processor to:

manipulate a garbage collection operation of the traffic manager module based on the script.

22. The traffic manager module of claim 12, wherein the code causes the at least one processor to:

modify a system state of the traffic manager module based on the script.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable program code stored thereon, which is configured to cause at least one processor to:

receive a script at a traffic manager module over a management plane of a packet core;

interpret the script at the traffic manager module to identify a traffic management policy, wherein interpreting the script at the traffic manager module comprises loading a protocol driver defined by the script at the traffic manager module;

dynamically modify at least one aspect of a proxy connection over a bearer plane of the packet core at the traffic manager module based on the identified traffic management policy; and

perform, based at least in part on the script, an application layer content inspection on a message associated with the proxy connection over the bearer plane;

wherein the protocol driver is loaded based at least in part on the application layer content inspection.