Method and apparatus for high-speed processing of structured application messages in a network device

• US 20060123425A1
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chan, Alex Yin-Man, Jin, Yi, Kumar, Sandeep, Cho, Stephen, Ramarao, Karempudi, Potti, Sunil, Ho, Ricky, Anthias, Tefcros
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A method is disclosed for high-speed processing of structured application messages in a network device. According to one aspect, a network device receives a set of message classification rules that have been prepared beforehand by a system administrator or customer. The system analyzes the message classification rules to determine what part(s) of the message are necessary to classify a message according to the message classification rules. This allows the system to consider only the relevant parts of the message and ignore the rest of the message. The system extracts the portion of the message necessary for classifying the message and classifies the message using the values of the extracted information and the message classification rules. A unique sequence of operations is implied by the message classification and those operations must then be applied to the message.

Claims

1. A method for high-speed processing of structured application messages in a network device, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving a plurality of message classification requirements;

wherein the message classification requirements specify rules used to classify a message;

analyzing the message classification requirements at the network device to determine what portion of a message is used to classify a message;

receiving a message at the network device;

extracting a portion of the message information needed to classify the message; and

classifying the message according to the message classification requirements.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the message classification requirements include operations to be performed on a message; and

performing at least one operation on the classified message.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one operation sends the message to the appropriate destination.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the appropriate destination is specified by the message classification requirements.

5. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one operation modifies the message content.

6. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one operation stores the message in a local database on the network device.

7. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one operation stores the message in a database external to the network device.

8. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one operation modifies a part of the message and/or adds information to the message.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the extracting step is performed in a custom hardware chip.

10. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the performing step is performed in the custom hardware chip.

11. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for high-speed processing of structured application messages in a network device, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

receiving a plurality of message classification requirements;

wherein the message classification requirements specify rules used to classify a message;

analyzing the message classification requirements at the network device to determine what portion of a message is used to classify a message;

receiving a message at the network device;

extracting a portion of the message information needed to classify the message; and

classifying the message according to the message classification requirements.

12. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

wherein the message classification requirements include operations to be performed on a message; and

performing at least one operation on the classified message.

13. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one operation sends the message to the appropriate destination.

14. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the appropriate destination is specified by the message classification requirements.

15. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one operation modifies the message content.

16. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one operation stores the message in a local database on the network device.

17. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one operation stores the message in a database external to the network device.

18. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one operation modifies a part of the message and/or adds information to the message.

19. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the extracting step is performed in a custom hardware chip.

20. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the performing step is performed in the custom hardware chip.

21. An apparatus for high-speed processing of structured application messages in a network device, comprising:

a module for receiving a plurality of message classification requirements;

wherein the message classification requirements specify rules used to classify a message;

a module for analyzing the message classification requirements at the network device to determine what portion of a message is used to classify a message;

a module for receiving a message at the network device;

a module for extracting a portion of the message information needed to classify the message; and

a module for classifying the message according to the message classification requirements.

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

wherein the message classification requirements include operations to be performed on a message; and

a module for performing at least one operation on the classified message.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein the at least one operation sends the message to the appropriate destination.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the appropriate destination is specified by the message classification requirements.

25. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein the at least one operation modifies the message content.

26. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein the at least one operation stores the message in a local database on the network device.

27. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein the at least one operation stores the message in a database external to the network device.

28. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein the at least one operation modifies a part of the message and/or adds information to the message.

29. An apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein the extracting step is performed in a custom hardware chip.

30. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein the performing step is performed in a custom hardware chip.

31. An apparatus for high-speed processing of structured application messages in a network device, comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of message classification requirements;

wherein the message classification requirements specify rules used to classify a message;

means for analyzing the message classification requirements at the network device to determine what portion of a message is used to classify a message;

means for receiving a message at the network device; and

means for parsing a portion of the message content to classify the message according to the message classification requirements.

32. An apparatus as recited in claim 31, further comprising:

wherein the message classification requirements include operations to be performed on a message; and

means for performing at least one operation on the classified message.

33. An apparatus as recited in claim 32, wherein the at least one operation sends the message to the appropriate destination.

34. An apparatus as recited in claim 33, wherein the appropriate destination is specified by the message classification requirements.

35. An apparatus as recited in claim 32, wherein the at least one operation modifies the message content.

36. An apparatus as recited in claim 32, wherein the at least one operation stores the message in a local database on the network device.

37. An apparatus as recited in claim 32, wherein the at least one operation stores the message in a database external to the network device.

38. An apparatus as recited in claim 32, wherein the at least one operation modifies a part of the message and/or adds information to the message.