Proxy application with dynamic filter updating

• US 10,212,246 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2017
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netflix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Netflix, Inc.
• Inventors: Cohen, Michael, Schmaus, Benjamin, Hawthorne, Matthew, Christensen, Benjamin, Jacobson, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Nano, Sargon N
• Application Number:
  US15/627,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20170289294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45516 Runtime code conversion or optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/80 Actions related to the user profile or the type of traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/562 Brokering proxy services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

The disclosure describes a proxy server application that supports the dynamic modification of proxy rules implemented by a proxy server. The proxy rules implemented by the proxy server specify network behaviors to be performed at various points during the handling of requests from client applications. A proxy server implements the proxy rules by processing one or more user-generated network traffic filters for managing network traffic. In an embodiment, users generate network traffic filters by creating network traffic filter source code that specify processing steps to be performed by a proxy server relative to network messages the proxy server receives. In an embodiment, user-generated network traffic filters may be added, removed, reordered, or otherwise modified in a proxy server application at runtime in order to respond to current network conditions or to achieve other desired proxy configurations.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a first network message;

determining a first filter-chain to process based on the first network message, wherein the first filter-chain includes a plurality of network traffic filters;

determining an order for processing different network traffic filters included in the plurality of network traffic filters;

based on the order, selecting a first network traffic filter included in the plurality of network traffic filters to process;

determining that the first network message satisfies one or more first processing criteria associated with the first network traffic filter; and

in response to determining that the one or more first processing criteria are satisfied, performing one or more operations associated with the first network traffic filter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the order for processing the different network traffic filters included in the plurality of network traffic filters is based on one or more execution order values.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the execution order values are specified by the plurality of network traffic filters.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after causing the one or more actions associated with the first network traffic filter to be performed, selecting, based on the order, a second network traffic filter included in the plurality of network traffic filters to process.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining that the second network message satisfies one or more second processing criteria associated with the second network traffic filter, and, in response to determining that the one or more second processing criteria are satisfied, performing one or more operations associated with the second network traffic filter.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining that the first network message does not satisfy one or more second processing criteria associated with the second network traffic filter, and, in response to determining that the one or more second processing criteria are not satisfied, selecting, based on the order, a third network traffic filter included in the plurality of network traffic filters to process.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining that no other network traffic filters included in the plurality of network traffic filters are to be processed, and waiting to receive a second network message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network message is received from a client.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first filter-chain comprises a pre-processing filter-chain or a dispatch filter-chain.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first filter chain comprises a dispatch filter-chain, and further comprising transmitting the first network message to a server once all applicable network traffic filters included in the plurality of network traffic filters have been processed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network message is received from a server, and the first filter-chain comprises a post-processing filter-chain.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

receiving a first network message;

determining a first filter-chain to process based on the first network message, wherein the first filter-chain includes at least a first network traffic filter and a second network traffic filter;

determining that the first network traffic filter is to be processed before the second network traffic filter;

selecting the first network traffic filter for processing;

determining that the first network message satisfies one or more first processing criteria associated with the first network traffic filter; and

causing one or more actions associated with the first network traffic filter to be performed.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein determining that the first network traffic filter is to be processed before the second network traffic filter is based on one or more execution order values.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the execution order values are specified by the first network traffic filter and the second network traffic filter.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising, after causing the one or more actions associated with the first network traffic filter to be performed, selecting the second network traffic filter to process.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising determining that the second network message satisfies one or more second processing criteria associated with the second network traffic filter, and, in response to determining that the one or more second processing criteria are satisfied, causing one or more operations associated with the second network traffic filter to be performed.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising determining that the first network message does not satisfy one or more second processing criteria associated with the second network traffic filter, and, in response to determining that the one or more second processing criteria are not satisfied, selecting a third network traffic filter included in the first filter-chain to process.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising determining that no other network traffic filters included in the first filter-chain are to be processed, and waiting to receive a second network message.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first network message is received from a client.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first filter-chain comprises a pre-processing filter-chain or a dispatch filter-chain.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the first filter chain comprises a dispatch filter chain, and further comprising transmitting the first network message to a server once all applicable network traffic filters included in the first filter-chain have been processed.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first network message is received from a server, and the first filter-chain comprises a post-processing filter-chain.

23. A computer system, comprising:

a memory that includes instructions; and

at least one processor that is coupled to the memory and, when executing the instructions, is configured to;

receive a first network message;

determine a first filter-chain to process based on the first network message, wherein the first filter chain includes a plurality of network traffic filters;

select a first network traffic filter included in the plurality of network traffic filters for processing; and

cause one or more actions associated with the first network traffic filter to be performed.

24. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the instructions are included in a proxy server application that comprises a virtual machine.

25. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor, when executing the instructions, is further configured to:

determine that the first network traffic filter is to be processed before a second network traffic filter included in the plurality of network traffic filters; and

determine that the first network message satisfies one or more first processing criteria associated with the first network traffic filter.