Method and system for data demultiplexing

• US 20050086348A1
• Filed: 08/06/2003
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Implicit, LLC (Edward Balassanian)
• Original Assignee: Edward Balassanian
• Inventors: Balassanian, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/663 Transport layer addresses, e.g. aspects of transmission control protocol [TCP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/321 Interlayer communication protocols or service data unit [SDU] definitions; Interfaces between layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system for demultiplexing packets of a message is provided. The demultiplexing system receives packets of a message, identifies a sequence of message handlers for processing the message, identifies state information associated with the message for each message handler, and invokes the message handlers passing the message and the associated state information. The system identifies the message handlers based on the initial data type of the message and a target data type. The identified message handlers effect the conversion of the data to the target data type through various intermediate data types.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for processing packets of a message, the method comprising:

receiving a packet of the message;

identifying a component for processing the received packet;

receiving from the identified component an identifier of state information associated with the message;

retrieving state information associated with the received identifier; and

providing the retrieved state information and the received packet to the identified component for processing of the received packet.

2. The method of claim 1 including requesting that the identified component provide an identifier of state information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing includes invoking a message handler of the component.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving of the identifier is in response to invoking a routine of the component.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the component is a protocol.

29. A computer-readable medium that implements the method of claim 1.

6. A method in a computer system for processing packets of a message, the method comprising:

receiving a packet of the message and a data type of the message;

identifying a component that is capable of processing a packet of the indicated data type; and

providing the received packet to the identified component for processing.

7. The method of claim 6 including

receiving from the identified component an identifier of state information associated with the message;

retrieving state information associated with the received identifier; and

providing the retrieved state information along with the received packet to the identified component for processing.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the receiving of the data type includes requesting the data type from a component that previously processed the packet.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the component is a protocol with an edge.

30. A computer-readable medium that implements the method of claim 6.

10. A component in a computer system for message handling, the message having packets, comprising:

for each of a plurality of processing sub-components,

a state key function for generating an identifier of state information based on a packet; and

a message handler function for processing a packet of the message using state information identified by the identifier; and

a session function for generating initial state information for a message that is associated with a generated identifier; and

11. The component of claim 10 wherein the component is a protocol and the sub-components are edges of the protocol.

12. The component of claim 10 wherein the message handler function updates the state information.

13. The component of claim 10 wherein each sub-component is for processing messages of different data types.

14. The component of claim 10 wherein multiple messages share the same state information.

15. The component of claim 10 wherein multiple sub-components share the same state information.

16. The component of claim 10 wherein the message handler function is passed state information.

17. The component of claim 10 wherein the state information is stored external to the component.

18. The component of claim 10 wherein the message handler converts data of a packet.

19. A computer-readable medium containing a data structure comprising a sequence of path entries, each path entry having a reference to state information for a message and a reference to a message handler for processing a message wherein the message handlers are to be invoked in the order of the sequence.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the data structure includes an indication of type of data to be output by the sequence of message handlers.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein a path entry includes an indication of type of data output by the message handler.

22. A method in a computer system for processing a message, the message having a plurality of headers, the method comprising:

analyzing the headers of the message to identify a sequence of message handlers for processing the message; and

invoking some of the identified message handlers passing the message.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the analyzing includes identifying a data type associated with a header.

24. The method of claim 22 including locating state information based on information in a header.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the analyzing includes identifying a state indicator routine for each message handler and the locating of state information includes invoking the identified state indicator routine passing the message wherein the state indicator routine advances a reference past the header associated with the state indicator routine.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the invoking is under control of a single thread of execution.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein analyzing includes identifying multiple sequences of message handlers.

28. The method of claim 22 wherein each invoked message handler advances a reference past its header in the message.

31. A computer-readable medium containing a data structure that includes:

a plurality of item fields, each item field identifying a conversion routine for processing a message in sequence; and

a type field specifying that each item field contains the identifier of a conversion routine.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein an item field identifies a protocol and edge.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein an item field includes an identifier of state information for the conversion routine.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the data structure is a URL.