OPEN PLATFORM ARCHITECTURE FOR INTEGRATING MULTIPLE HETEROGENEOUS NETWORK FUNCTIONS

• US 20110299419A1
• Filed: 08/15/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: FENDICK, Kerry, KALAMPOUKAS, Lampros, WOO, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,654,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• 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 45/60 Router architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/645 Splitting route computation layer and forwarding layer, e.g. routing according to path computational element [PCE] or based on OpenFlow functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/355 Application aware switches, e.g. for HTTP
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/602 Multilayer or multiprotocol switching, e.g. IP switching

Abstract

A platform for seamlessly hosts a plurality of disparate types of packet processing applications. One or more applications are loaded onto a service card on the platform. A programmable path structure is included that maps a logical path for processing of the packets through one or more of the plurality of service cards according to characteristics of the packets. Multiple path structures may be programmed into the platform to offer different service paths for different types of packets.

Claims

1. A platform for performing processing of packets at the edge of a network, the platform comprising:

a plurality of service cards of a forwarding plane, each service card configured to execute at least one particular network application;

a programmable service path structure, that maps a logical path for processing of the packets through one or more of the plurality of service cards according to characteristics of the packets; and

a fabric including a plurality of input and output ports configured to physically route the packets from ingress to egress of the one or more plurality of service cards according to the programmable service path structure.

2. The platform as recited in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of input/output (I/O) cards, each I/O card configured to route the packets from ingress to egress of the platform.

3. The platform as recited in claim 1, wherein executing at least one application includes executing an application associated with network security comprising at least one of a firewall process, a Deep Packet Inspection process, a virus detection process, and a denial of service detection process.

4. The platform as recited in claim 1, wherein executing at least one application includes executing an application associated with traffic accounting/monitoring comprising at least one of a flow monitoring process, traffic measuring process, and a probing process.

5. The platform as recited in claim 1, further comprising a control plane, coupled to the forwarding plane, the control plane comprising at least one feature server used in conjunction with the forwarding plane for executing an application associated with at least one bandwidth management or a traffic management process.

6. The platform as recited in claim 1, further comprising a control plane, coupled to the forwarding plane, the control plane comprising at least one feature server used in conjunction with the forwarding plane for executing an application associated with at least one content adaptation process or an application acceleration process.

7. The platform as recited in claim 1, further comprising a control plane coupled to the forwarding plane, the control plane controlling one or more portions of the programmable service path structure.

8. The platform as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one of the service cards and/or I/O cards, is configured to identify at least one characteristic of the packets, and based on the identified at least one characteristic, assign a classifier to the packets, which is then used to navigate the packets through the one or more of the programmable service path structures.

9. The platform as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one of the service cards and/or I/O cards in configured to route packets to a next destination.

10. The platform as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the service cards is dynamically reprogrammable.

11. The platform as recited in claim 1, wherein the programmable service path structure is dynamically reprogrammable.

12. A system for processing a packet, comprising:

a plurality of service applications, each configured to perform a specific segment of processing on the packet; and

a plurality of service paths, programmably configured to link a completion of processing of one specific segment of processing associated with one of the service applications to a start of processing of another specific segment of another of the service applications such that each portion of processing of the packet can be performed in a specific order and by any of the plurality of service applications specified by the plurality of service paths.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of I/O cards each configured to route the packet from ingress to egress of the system, wherein at least one of the plurality of service paths provides a link between at least one of the plurality of service applications with at least one of the plurality of I/O cards.

14. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein at least one specific segment of processing on the packet includes executing an application associated with network security comprising at least one of a firewall process, a Deep Packet Inspection process, a virus detection process, and a denial of service detection process.

15. The platform as recited in claim 12, wherein at least one specific segment of processing on the packet includes executing an application associated with traffic accounting/monitoring.

16. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the specific order and the plurality of service applications specified by the plurality of service paths are determined based on at least one identified characteristic of the packet.

17. The system as recited in claim 12, further comprising a plurality of service cards, each configured to execute at least one of the service applications.

18. The system as in claim 12, further comprising a control plane and a forwarding plane, the control plane and the forwarding plane each controlling one or more portions of the programmable service path structure.

19. A platform for processing of packets in a network, the platform comprising:

a plurality of service cards forming a forwarding plane, each service card configured to (i) to execute at least one particular network application, and (ii) route the packets from ingress to egress of the platform;

a programmable service path structure, that maps a logical path for processing of the packets through one or more of the plurality of service cards according to characteristics of the packets; and

a fabric including a plurality of input and output ports configured to physically route the packets from ingress to egress of the one or more plurality of service cards, according to the programmable service path structure.

20. The platform as recited in claim 19, further comprising a plurality of input/output (I/O) cards, each I/O card configured to route the packets from ingress to egress of the platform.

21. The platform as recited in claim 19, wherein each of the service cards is dynamically reprogrammable.

22. The platform as recited in claim 19, wherein the programmable service path structure is dynamically reprogrammable.