SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR STOPPING AND STARTING A PACKET PROCESSING TASK

• US 20120257631A1
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gigamon Incorporated (Elliott Capital Advisors LP)
• Original Assignee: Gigamon Incorporated (Elliott Capital Advisors LP)
• Inventors: NGUYEN, Hung
• Granted Patent: US 9,674,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/18 Loop-free operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/50 Overload detection or protection within a single switching element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00

Abstract

A method of packet processing by a network switch appliance includes receiving a first packet at a first network port of the network switch appliance, determining a first workload at the network switch appliance at a first time instant, performing a task to process the first packet when the first workload is below a first prescribed threshold, and passing the first packet to an instrument port at the network switch appliance. A method of packet processing by a network switch appliance includes receiving a first packet at a first network port of the network switch appliance, determining a first resource at the network switch appliance at a first time instant, performing a task to process the first packet when the first resource is above a first prescribed threshold, and passing the first packet to an instrument port at the network switch appliance.

Claims

1. A method of packet processing by a network switch appliance, comprising:

receiving a first packet at a first network port of the network switch appliance;

determining a first workload at the network switch appliance at a first time instant;

performing a task to process the first packet when the first workload is below a first prescribed threshold; and

passing the first packet to an instrument port at the network switch appliance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second packet;

determining a second workload at a second time instant; and

preventing the first task from being performed to process the second packet when the second workload is above the first prescribed threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a third packet;

determining a third workload at a third time instant; and

resuming the first task to process the third packet when the third workload is below the first prescribed threshold.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a third packet;

determining a third workload at a third time instant; and

resuming the first task to process the third packet when the third workload is below a second prescribed threshold that is lower than the first prescribed threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first task is unnecessary for performing the act of passing the first packet to the instrument port.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first task comprises a packet de-duplication task.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the packet de-duplication task comprises using an IPID field to identify a duplicate packet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first task comprises packet filtering, packet slicing, packet modification, or flow control of packets.

9. A network switch appliance for packet processing, comprising:

a first network port for receiving a first packet;

an instrument port for communicating with an instrument; and

a processor configured for;

determining a first workload at the network switch appliance at a first time instant;

performing a task to process the first packet when the first workload is below a first prescribed threshold; and

passing the first packet to the instrument port.

10. The network switch appliance of claim 9, wherein the first network port is further configured to receive a second packet;

and

wherein the processor is further configured for;

determining a second workload at a second time instant; and

preventing the first task from being performed to process the second packet when the second workload is above the first prescribed threshold.

11. The network switch appliance of claim 10, wherein the first network port is further configured to receive a third packet;

and

wherein the processor is further configured for;

determining a third workload at a third time instant; and

resuming the first task to process the third packet when the third workload is below the first prescribed threshold.

12. The network switch appliance of claim 10, wherein the first network port is further configured to receive a third packet;

and

wherein the processor is further configured for;

determining a third workload at a third time instant; and

resuming the first task to process the third packet when the third workload is below a second prescribed threshold that is lower than the first prescribed threshold.

13. The network switch appliance of claim 9, wherein the first task is unnecessary for passing the first packet to the instrument port.

14. The network switch appliance of claim 9, wherein the first task comprises a packet de-duplication task.

15. The network switch appliance of claim 14, wherein the packet de-duplication task comprises using an IPID field to identify a duplicate packet.

16. The network switch appliance of claim 9, wherein the first task comprises packet filtering, packet slicing, packet modification, or flow control of packets.

17. A computer program product having a non-transitory medium storing a set of instruction, an execution of which causes a process to be performed, wherein the process comprises:

receiving a first packet at a first network port of the network switch appliance;

determining a first workload at the network switch appliance at a first time instant;

performing a task to process the first packet when the first workload is below a first prescribed threshold; and

passing the first packet to an instrument port at the network switch appliance.

18. A method of packet processing by a network switch appliance, comprising:

receiving a first packet at a first network port of the network switch appliance;

determining a first resource at the network switch appliance at a first time instant;

performing a task to process the first packet when the first resource is above a first prescribed threshold; and

passing the first packet to an instrument port at the network switch appliance.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a second packet;

determining a second resource at a second time instant; and

preventing the first task from being performed to process the second packet when the second resource is below the first prescribed threshold.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a third packet;

determining a third resource at a third time instant; and

resuming the first task to process the third packet when the third resource is above the first prescribed threshold.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a third packet;

determining a third resource at a third time instant; and

resuming the first task to process the third packet when the third resource is above a second prescribed threshold that is higher than the first prescribed threshold.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the first task is unnecessary for performing the act of passing the first packet to the instrument port.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the first task comprises a packet de-duplication task.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the packet de-duplication task comprises using an IPID field to identify a duplicate packet.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the first task comprises packet filtering, packet slicing, packet modification, or flow control of packets.

26. A network switch appliance for packet processing, comprising:

a first network port for receiving a first packet;

an instrument port for communicating with an instrument; and

a processor configured for;

determining a first resource at the network switch appliance at a first time instant;

performing a task to process the first packet when the first resource is above a first prescribed threshold; and

passing the first packet to the instrument port.

27. The network switch appliance of claim 26, wherein the first network port is further configured to receive a second packet;

and

wherein the processor is further configured for;

determining a second resource at a second time instant; and

preventing the first task from being performed to process the second packet when the second resource is below the first prescribed threshold.

28. The network switch appliance of claim 27, wherein the first network port is further configured to receive a third packet;

and

wherein the processor is further configured for;

determining a third resource at a third time instant; and

resuming the first task to process the third packet when the third resource is above the first prescribed threshold.

29. The network switch appliance of claim 27, wherein the first network port is further configured to receive a third packet;

and

wherein the processor is further configured for;

determining a third resource at a third time instant; and

resuming the first task to process the third packet when the third resource is above a second prescribed threshold that is higher than the first prescribed threshold.

30. The network switch appliance of claim 26, wherein the first task is unnecessary for passing the first packet to the instrument port.

31. The network switch appliance of claim 26, wherein the first task comprises a packet de-duplication task.

32. The network switch appliance of claim 31, wherein the packet de-duplication task comprises using an IPID field to identify a duplicate packet.

33. The network switch appliance of claim 26, wherein the first task comprises packet filtering, packet slicing, packet modification, or flow control of packets.

34. A computer program product having a non-transitory medium storing a set of instruction, an execution of which causes a process to be performed, wherein the process comprises:

receiving a first packet at a first network port of the network switch appliance;

determining a first resource at the network switch appliance at a first time instant;

performing a task to process the first packet when the first resource is above a first prescribed threshold; and

passing the first packet to an instrument port at the network switch appliance.