System for content based message processing

• US 20040120325A1
• Filed: 12/13/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Ayres, Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 7,426,209 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2458 Modification of priorities while in transit
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/621 Individual queue per connection or flow, e.g. per VC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6215 Individual queue per QOS, rate or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6225 Fixed service order, e.g. Round Robin
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9047 including multiple buffers, e.g. buffer pools
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities

Abstract

The present invention provides a packet (400, 410 or 420) having a message (404) and a processing priority (402) associated with the message (404). The processing priority (402) is dynamically changeable by a function operating on the message (404). The present invention also provides a method for associating a processing priority (402) to a message (404) by receiving the message (504), determining the processing priority for the message (506) and associating the processing priority with the message such that the processing priority is dynamically changeable by a function operating on the message (508). In addition, the present invention provides a method for scheduling messages by receiving one or more messages (904) and storing each message in a multidimensional processing queue based on a processing priority and an attribute associated with the message (906). Each queued message from the multidimensional processing queue is scheduled for processing based on an algorithm (908).

Claims

1. A packet comprising:

a message; and

a processing priority associated with the message, the processing priority being dynamically changeable by a function operating on the message.

2. The packet as recited in claim 1, wherein the processing priority comprises one or more parameters that are evaluated to produce a priority for the message.

3. The packet as recited in claim 1, wherein the processing priority is associated with the message by attaching the processing priority to the start of the message.

4. The packet as recited in claim 1, wherein the processing priority is associated with the message by appending the processing priority to the end of the message.

5. The packet as recited in claim 1, wherein the processing priority is associated with the message by linking the processing priority to the message using pointers.

6. A method for associating a processing priority to a message comprising the steps of:

receiving the message;

determining the processing priority for the message; and

associating the processing priority with the message such that the processing priority is dynamically changeable by a function operating on the message.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the processing priority comprises one or more parameters that are evaluated to produce a priority for the message.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the processing priority is associated with the message by attaching the processing priority to the start of the message.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the processing priority is associated with the message by appending the processing priority to the end of the message.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the processing priority is associated with the message by linking the processing priority to the message using pointers.

11. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for associating a processing priority to a message comprising:

a code segment for receiving the message;

a code segment for determining the processing priority for the message; and

a code segment for associating the processing priority with the message such that the processing priority is dynamically changeable by a function operating on the message.

12. The computer program as recited in claim 11, wherein the processing priority comprises one or more parameters that are evaluated to produce a priority for the message.

13. The computer program as recited in claim 11, wherein the processing priority is associated with the message by attaching the processing priority to the start of the message.

14. The computer program as recited in claim 11, wherein the processing priority is associated with the message by appending the processing priority to the end of the message.

15. The computer program as recited in claim 11, wherein the processing priority is associated with the message by linking the processing priority to the message using pointers.

16. A method for scheduling one or more messages comprising the steps of:

receiving the one or more messages;

storing each message in a multidimensional processing queue based on a processing priority and an attribute associated with the message; and

scheduling each queued message from the multidimensional processing queue for processing based on an algorithm.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the attribute is a virtual private network classification.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the attribute is a destination software function.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the attribute is a function index.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the attribute is a functionality type.

21. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the algorithm is an exponentially weighted, non-starving, nested-round-robin, message-priority-based scheme.

22. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the algorithm is a weighted, non-starving, nested-round-robin, class-based scheme.

23. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the algorithm provides no more than a pre-determined number of consecutive messages to a function within a time period.

24. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the processing priority comprises one or more parameters that are evaluated to produce a priority for the message.

25. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the processing priority is dynamically changeable by a function operating on the message.

26. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for scheduling one or more messages comprising:

a code segment for receiving the one or more messages;

a code segment for storing each message in a multidimensional processing queue based on a processing priority and an attribute associated with the message; and

a code segment for scheduling each queued message from the multidimensional processing queue for processing based on an algorithm.

27. The computer program as recited in claim 26, wherein the attribute is a virtual private network classification.

28. The computer program as recited in claim 26, wherein the attribute is a destination software function.

29. The computer program as recited in claim 26, wherein the attribute is a function index.

30. The computer program as recited in claim 26, wherein the attribute is a functionality type.

31. The computer program as recited in claim 26, wherein the algorithm is an exponentially weighted, non-starving, nested-round-robin, message-priority-based scheme.

32. The computer program as recited in claim 26, wherein the algorithm is a weighted, non-starving, nested-round-robin, class-based scheme.

33. The computer program as recited in claim 26, wherein the algorithm provides no more than a pre-determined number of consecutive messages to a function within a time period.

34. The computer program as recited in claim 26, wherein the processing priority comprises one or more parameters that are evaluated to produce a priority for the message.

35. The computer program as recited in claim 26, wherein the processing priority is dynamically changeable by a function operating on the message.

36. A communications switch comprising:

one or more ingress cards;

one or more signal processing cards, each signal processing card containing an array of digital signal processors;

one or more control cards containing one or more processors;

one or more egress cards;

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

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

a multidimensional processing queue;

a scheduler communicably coupled to each processor and the multidimensional processing queue, the scheduler receiving one or more messages, storing each message in the multidimensional processing queue based on a priority and an attribute of the message, and scheduling each queued message from the multidimensional processing queue for processing based on an algorithm.