SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FLOW TABLE MANAGEMENT
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising:
- in a system that processes communication packets, maintaining a list of active packet flows and respective actions that are specified for application to the packet flows;
classifying input packets into the packet flows, and applying to each input packet a respective action in accordance with the list;
defining different respective time-out periods for different ones of the packet flows on the list; and
upon detecting that no packet belonging to a given packet flow was accepted within a respective time-out period of the given packet flow, deleting the given packet flow from the list of the active flows.
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Abstract
Methods and systems for managing the actions that are applied to packet flows by packet processing systems. A packet processing system maintains a flow table, i.e., a list of active flows and respective actions to be applied to the flows. The system classifies each incoming packet into a respective flow, and processes the packet in accordance with the action that is specified for this flow in the flow table. Typically, the system deletes a packet flow from the flow table when it becomes inactive, e.g., when no packets belonging to the flow arrive within a certain time-out period.
63 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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in a system that processes communication packets, maintaining a list of active packet flows and respective actions that are specified for application to the packet flows; classifying input packets into the packet flows, and applying to each input packet a respective action in accordance with the list; defining different respective time-out periods for different ones of the packet flows on the list; and upon detecting that no packet belonging to a given packet flow was accepted within a respective time-out period of the given packet flow, deleting the given packet flow from the list of the active flows. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method, comprising:
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in a system that processes communication packets, maintaining a set of packet processing rules and a list of packet flows; based on the rules, defining respective actions for application to the packet flows; accepting a change in the packet processing rules; classifying an input packet into a packet flow from the list; verifying that a respective action applicable to the packet flow matches the packet processing rules only upon arrival of a first packet belonging to the packet flow following the change in the packet processing rules; and applying the verified action to the input packet. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. Apparatus, comprising:
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a memory, which is configured to hold a list of active packet flows and respective actions that are specified for application to the packet flows; and processing circuitry, which is configured to maintain the list, to classify input packets into the packet flows, to apply to each input packet a respective action in accordance with the list, to define different respective time-out periods for different ones of the packet flows on the list, and, upon detecting that no packet belonging to a given packet flow was accepted within a respective time-out period of the given packet flow, to delete the given packet flow from the list of the active flows. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification