Integrated access point network device

• US 20010030970A1
• Filed: 12/05/2000
• Published: 10/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barracuda Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Converged Access, Inc.
• Inventors: Romrell, David, Wiryaman, Santa, Sukonnik, Vladimir
• Granted Patent: US 7,149,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2876 Handling of subscriber policies group policies management H04L41/0893
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4604 LAN interconnection over a backbone network, e.g. Internet, Frame Relay
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]

Abstract

A communication device integrates traffic monitoring, policy configuration and enforcement, and proxy services within the device. The policies can affect both prioritization of data as well as allocation of communication bandwidth. Data packets that are accepted at the device are classified according to a set of defined classes and are transmitted through the device according to a policy for prioritization and bandwidth allocation for the classes. Optionally, some of the packets are passed to a proxy application hosted in the communication device. The device functions as a link-layer bridge, thereby allowing the device to be inserted into a data path without reconfiguring network layer software at devices that use that data path. The device includes operating modes in which packets are passed through the device without modification.

Claims

1. A method for processing communication in a communication device having a first interface and a second interface comprising:

accepting data packets at the first interface;

for each accepted packet, identifying one of a plurality of classes of data flows associated with said packet;

for at least some of the accepted packets queuing said packets according to the identified class for said packet; and

transmitting the accepted packets from the second communication interface according a policy for priority and bandwidth allocation associated with the plurality of classes of data flows.

2. The method of

claim 1

wherein identifying the class of data flows includes examining network layer addressing data in the accepted packet.

3. The method of

claim 1

wherein examining network layer addressing data includes identifying destination network layer addresses of the packets.

4. The method of

claim 2

wherein identifying the class of data flows includes examining application layer data in the packets.

5. The method of

claim 1

further comprising, for at least some other of the accepted packets, passing the accepted packets to a proxy application hosted in the communication device.

6. The method of

claim 5

wherein the destination network layer addresses for the accepted packets that are passed to the proxy application are addresses of devices other than the communication device and that are accessible through the second interface, whereby the packets are intercepted by the communication device without being addressed to the communication device by the originators of the packets.

7. The method of

claim 5

wherein information in the packets passed to the proxy application is transmitted from the second interface in packets with source network layer addresses associated with the communication device.

8. The method of

claim 5

wherein information in the packets passed to the proxy application is transmitted from the second interface in packets with source network layer addresses equal to the source network layer addresses of corresponding accepted packets.

9. The method of

claim 5

further comprising, for the packets that are passed to the proxy application, queuing records associated with the accepted packets, and transmitting packets from the proxy application according to the queued records.

10. The method of

claim 1

wherein the communication device communicates with devices over the first interface and the second interface as a data link layer bridge.

11. The method of

claim 10

wherein the accepted packets are transmitted without modification of their source and destination network layer addresses.

12. The method of

claim 1

further comprising accepting a specification of the policy using a graphical user interface.

13. The method of

claim 1

further comprising displaying data related to the utilization of bandwidth allocated to the classes of data flows on the graphical user interface.

14. The method of

claim 1

further comprising operating the communication device in a second mode, including passing packets between the first interface and the second interface without modification.

15. The method of

claim 14

wherein operating in the second mode further includes monitoring the packets passing between the first interface and the second interface.

16. The method of

claim 15

wherein monitoring the packets includes identifying a class of data flows associated with each packet.

17. The method of

claim 1

further comprising operating the communication device in a third mode, including directly connecting the first interface to the second interface.

18. The method of

claim 17

further comprising switching to the third mode of operation in the event of a fault at the communication device.

19. A communication device comprising:

a plurality of network interfaces, including a first network interface, and a second network interface, wherein the communication device is configured to pass packets belonging to a plurality of classes of data flows between the network interfaces according to a programmable policy;

a plurality of queues, each associated with a different one of the classes of data flows, for accepting packets from the first network interface;

configuration data, including a configurable policy for the classes of data flows, wherein the configurable policy for a flow includes a bandwidth parameter and a priority parameter; and

a scheduler for determining when to dequeue data packets queued in the plurality of queues, wherein the scheduler is configured according to the bandwidth parameters and the priority parameters for the classes of data flows.

20. The device of

claim 19

wherein the device includes the capability to functions as a data link layer bridge when passing data packets between the network interfaces.

21. The device of

claim 19

further comprising a proxy application for processing data accepted at the first interface.

22. The device of

claim 21

further comprising a cache for servicing requests in data processed by the proxy application.

23. The device of

claim 19

further comprising a bypass switch for coupling the first interface to the second interface in a second operating mode.

24. The device of

claim 23

wherein the bypass switch includes a hub for coupling the first interface to both the second interface and to a processor of the communication device, whereby data passing between the first interface and the second interface can be monitored by the communication device without modifying the communication.