System and method for processing packets

• US 20030058872A1
• Filed: 09/24/2001
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: HARDING-JONES, WILLIAM PAUL, Berggreen, Arthur
• Granted Patent: US 7,042,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/745 Address table lookup; Address filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/602 Multilayer or multiprotocol switching, e.g. IP switching

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for processing packetized data or packets through a communications switch using a Fast Flow-Forwarding (“FFF”) system. FFF provides expedited forwarding of packets based on pattern matching and data manipulation rules that cross protocol layer boundaries. More specifically, the present invention provides a method for processing a packet in which the packet is received and processed using one or more transformation rules whenever the packet satisfies one or more identification rules. Otherwise, the packet is processed using a standard process whenever the packet does not satisfy the one or more identification rules. This method can be implemented using a computer program having a code segment to execute each step of the method.

Claims

1. A method for processing a packet comprising the steps of:

receiving the packet;

processing the packet using one or more transformation rules whenever the packet satisfies one or more identification rules; and

processing the packet using a standard process whenever the packet does not satisfy the one or more identification rules.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more identification rules further comprise one or more validation rules.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of creating the one or more identification rules and the one or more transformation rules based on an external data.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the external data is a call setup information.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of sending the packet to an egress port after the packet has been processed using the one or more transformation rules.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring the standard process to detect one or more packet flows; and

creating the one or more identification rules and the one or more transformation rules whenever a packet flow is detected.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising the step of updating the one or more identification rules and the one or more transformation rules whenever a change in the packet flow is detected.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more identification rules comprise a decision tree.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the decision tree comprises one or more nodes and each node is a hash table.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each transformation rule comprises a processing instruction.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the standard process is a protocol stack.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the packet is an IP packet.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the packet is an Ethernet packet.

14. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for processing a packet comprising:

a code segment for receiving the packet;

a code segment for processing the packet using one or more transformation rules whenever the a code segment for packet satisfies one or more identification rules; and

a code segment for processing the packet using a standard process whenever the packet does not satisfy the one or more identification rules.

15. The computer program as recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more identification rules further comprise one or more validation rules.

16. The computer program as recited in claim 14, further comprising a code segment for creating the one or more identification rules and the one or more transformation rules based on an external data.

17. The computer program as recited in claim 14, wherein the external data is a call setup information.

18. The computer program as recited in claim 14, further comprising a code segment for sending the packet to an egress port after the packet has been processed using the one or more transformation rules.

19. The computer program as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

a code segment for monitoring the standard process to detect one or more packet flows; and

a code segment for creating the one or more identification rules and the one or more transformation rules whenever a packet flow is detected.

20. The computer program as recited in claim 19, further comprising a code segment for updating the one or more identification rules and the one or more transformation rules whenever a change in the packet flow is detected.

21. The computer program as recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more identification rules comprise a decision tree.

22. The computer program as recited in claim 21, wherein the decision tree comprises one or more nodes and each node is a hash table.

23. The computer program as recited in claim 14, wherein each transformation rule comprises a processing instruction.

24. The computer program as recited in claim 14, wherein the standard process is a protocol stack.

25. The computer program as recited in claim 14, wherein the packet is an IP packet.

26. The computer program as recited in claim 14, wherein the packet is an Ethernet packet.

27. A communications switch comprising:

one or more ingress cards;

one or more control cards, each control card having at least one processor;

one or more egress cards;

a communications bus communicably coupling the ingress cards, the control cards and the egress cards together; and

each ingress card receiving one or more packets, processing each packet using one or more transformation rules whenever the packet satisfies one or more identification rules, and sending each packet to one of the processors for processing using a standard process whenever the packet does not satisfy the one or more identification rules.

28. The communications switch as recited in claim 27, wherein the one or more identification rules further comprise one or more validation rules.

29. The communications switch as recited in claim 27, wherein each control card further comprises a fast flow forwarding controller that creates the one or more identification rules and the one or more transformation rules based on an external data.

30. The communications switch as recited in claim 27, wherein the external data is a call setup information.

31. The communications switch as recited in claim 27, wherein the packets are sent to one of the egress cards after the packet has been processed using the one or more transformation rules.

32. The communications switch as recited in claim 27, wherein each control card further comprises a fast flow forwarding controller that monitors the standard process to detect one or more packet flows, and creates the one or more identification rules and the one or more transformation rules whenever a packet flow is detected.

33. The communications switch as recited in claim 32, wherein the fast flow-forwarding controller updates the one or more identification rules and the one or more transformation rules whenever a change in the packet flow is detected.

34. The communications switch as recited in claim 27, wherein the one or more identification rules comprise a decision tree.

35. The communications switch as recited in claim 34, wherein the decision tree comprises one or more nodes and each node is a hash table.

36. The communications switch as recited in claim 27, wherein each transformation rule comprises a processing instruction.

37. The communications switch as recited in claim 27, wherein the standard process is a protocol stack.

38. The communications switch as recited in claim 27, wherein the packet is an IP packet.

39. The communications switch as recited in claim 27, wherein the packet is an Ethernet packet.

40. A communications switch comprising:

one or more ingress cards;

one or more control cards, each control card having at least one processor;

one or more signal processing cards, each signal processing card containing an array of digital signal processors, each digital signal processor creating one or more packets and sending the one or more packets to a fast flow forwarding engine, each fast flow forwarding engine receiving the one or more packets, processing each packet using one or more transformation rules whenever the packet satisfies one or more identification rules, and sending each packet to one of the processors for processing using a standard process whenever the packet does not satisfy the one or more identification rules;

one or more egress cards;

a switch fabric communicably coupling the ingress cards, the signal processing cards, the control cards and the egress cards together; and

a TDM bus communicably coupling the ingress cards, the signal processing cards, the control cards and the egress cards.

41. The communications switch as recited in claim 40, wherein the one or more identification rules further comprise one or more validation rules.

42. The communications switch as recited in claim 40, wherein each control card further comprises a fast flow forwarding controller that creates the one or more identification rules and the one or more transformation rules based on an external data.

43. The communications switch as recited in claim 40, wherein the external data is a call setup information.

44. The communications switch as recited in claim 40, wherein the packets are sent to one of the egress cards after the packet has been processed using the one or more transformation rules.

45. The communications switch as recited in claim 40, wherein each control card further comprises a fast flow forwarding controller that monitors the standard process to detect one or more packet flows, and creates the one or more identification rules and the one or more transformation rules whenever a packet flow is detected.

46. The communications switch as recited in claim 45, wherein the fast flow-forwarding controller updates the one or more identification rules and the one or more transformation rules whenever a change in the packet flow is detected.

47. The communications switch as recited in claim 40, wherein the one or more identification rules comprise a decision tree.

48. The communications switch as recited in claim 40, wherein the decision tree comprises one or more nodes and each node is a hash table.

49. The communications switch as recited in claim 40, wherein each transformation rule comprises a processing instruction.

50. The communications switch as recited in claim 40, wherein the standard process is a protocol stack.

51. The communications switch as recited in claim 40, wherein the packet is an IP packet.

52. The communications switch as recited in claim 40, wherein the packet is an Ethernet packet.