HARDWARE-BASED PACKET EDITOR

• US 20170324846A1
• Filed: 07/26/2017
• Published: 11/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A10 Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: A10 Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Davis, Ian E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,069,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields

Abstract

Hardware-based packet editor receives a packet editing script which includes script entries indicating modifications to a data packet and a data block with data for the modified data packet. For a script entry in the packet editing script, the packet editor copies data in the data block at a block location and with a block length identified in the script entry into a packet buffer. The packet editor repeats the copying for the remaining script entries for the modified data packet. The packet editor then generates the modified data packet with the data in the packet buffer. The packet editing script is generated such that a script entry is created for data to be included in the modified data packet and data to be inserted into the modified data packet. Creation of a script entry is omitted for data to be removed.

Claims

1. A system for fragmenting a data packet, the system comprising:

a packet buffer for a first modified data packet;

a packet buffer for a second modified data packet; and

a hardware-based packet editor comprising a control memory and a control module, the hardware-based packet editor being configured to;

receive a packet editing script comprising a plurality of script entries indicating modifications to be applied to the data packet and a data block comprising data for one or more modified data packets;

determine that a script entry of the plurality of script entries is a first script entry for the first modified data packet;

in response to the determining that the script entry is the first script entry for the first modified data packet, reserve the packet buffer for the first modified data packet;

copy a first portion of the data in the data block at a location and a size identified in the script entry and each further script entry for the first modified data packet in the packet editing script into the packet buffer for the first modified data packet;

determine that one of further script entries of the plurality of script entries is a first script entry for the second modified data packet;

in response to the determining that the one of further script entries is the first script entry for the second modified data packet, reserve the packet buffer for the second modified data packet;

copy a second portion of the data in the data block at a location and a size identified in the one of further script entries script entry and each further script entry for the second modified data packet in the packet editing script into the packet buffer for the second modified data packet; and

generate the first modified data packet based on the packet buffer for the first modified data packet and the second modified data packet based on the packet buffer for the second modified data packet.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware-based packet editor is configured to determine that the script entry is the first script entry for the first modified data packet by determining that a start of packet (SOP) indicator in the script entry indicates that the script entry is the first script entry for the first modified data packet,

wherein the hardware-based packet editor determines that the one of further script entries is the first script entry for the second modified data packet by determining that a SOP indicator in the one of further script entries indicates that the one of further script entries is the first script entry for the second modified data packet.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware-based packet editor is further configured to:

determine whether the script entry of the plurality of script entries is a last script entry for the first modified data packet,

wherein the copying of the first portion of the data in the data block at a block location and with a block length identified in the script entry into the packet buffer for the first modified data packet is performed in response to the determining that the script entry is not the last script entry for the first modified data packet.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware-based packet editor is further configured to:

determine that a further script entry of the plurality of script entries for the first modified data packet is a last script entry for the first modified data packet,

wherein the generating of the first modified data packet is performed based on the determining that the further script entry of the plurality of script entries for the first modified data packet is the last script entry.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the hardware-based packet editor determines whether the script entry is the last script entry for the first modified data packet by determining that an end of packet (EOP) indicator in the script entry indicates that the script entry is the last script entry for the first modified data packet.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware-based packet editor is further configured to:

determine whether the one of further script entries of the plurality of script entries is the last script entry for the second modified data packet,

wherein the copying of the second portion of the data in the data block at a block location and with a block length identified in the one of further script entries into the packet buffer for the second modified data packet is performed in response to the determining that the one of further script entries is not the last script entry for the second modified data packet.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware-based packet editor is further configured to:

determine that a further script entry of the plurality of script entries for the second modified data packet is a last script entry for the second modified data packet,

wherein the generating of the second modified data packet is performed based on the determining that the further script entry of the plurality of script entries for the second modified data packet is the last script entry.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the hardware-based packet editor determines whether the further script entry is the last script entry for the second modified data packet by determining that an EOP indicator in the further script entry indicates that the further script entry is the last script entry for the second modified data packet.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware-based packet editor performs the reserving the packet buffer for the first modified data packet and the copying the first portion of the data in the data block at a block location and with a block length identified in the script entry into the packet buffer by:

setting a packet buffer marker at a beginning of the packet buffer;

appending a copy of the first portion of the data in the data block at the block location and with the block length identified in the script entry to the packet buffer at the packet buffer marker; and

modifying the packet buffer marker by the block length identified in the script entry.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware-based packet editor is further configured to:

determine whether the script entry is a last script entry for the first modified data packet in the packet editing script; and

in response to determining that the script entry is not the last script entry for the first modified data packet in the packet editing script, retrieve the each further script entry for the first modified data packet in the packet editing script.

11. A method for fragmenting a data packet by a packet editor being a hardware-based packet editor, the method comprising:

receiving, by the packet editor, a packet editing script comprising a plurality of script entries indicating modifications to be applied to the data packet and a data block comprising data for one or more modified data packets;

determining that a script entry of the plurality of script entries is a first script entry for a first modified data packet;

in response to the determining that the script entry is the first script entry for the first modified data packet, reserving a packet buffer for the first modified data packet;

copying, by the packet editor, a first portion of the data in the data block at a location and a size identified in the script entry and each further script entry for the first modified data packet in the packet editing script into the packet buffer for the first modified data packet;

determining that one of further script entries of the plurality of script entries is a first script entry for a second modified data packet;

in response to the determining that the one of further script entries is the first script entry for the second modified data packet, reserving a packet buffer for the second modified data packet;

copying, by the packet editor, a second portion of the data in the data block at a location and a size identified in the one of further script entries script entry and each further script entry for the second modified data packet in the packet editing script into the packet buffer for the second modified data packet; and

generating, by the packet editor, the first modified data packet based on the packet buffer for the first modified data packet and the second modified data packet based on the packet buffer for the second modified data packet.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining that the script entry is the first script entry for the first modified data packet comprises determining that a start of packet (SOP) indicator in the script entry indicates that the script entry is the first script entry for the first modified data packet,

wherein the determining that the one of further script entries is the first script entry for the second modified data packet comprises determining that a SOP indicator in the one of further script entries indicates that the one of further script entries is the first script entry for the second modified data packet.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether the script entry of the plurality of script entries is a last script entry for the first modified data packet,

wherein the copying of the first portion of the data in the data block at a block location and with a block length identified in the script entry into the packet buffer for the first modified data packet is performed in response to the determining that the script entry is not the last script entry for the first modified data packet.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that a further script entry of the plurality of script entries for the first modified data packet is a last script entry for the first modified data packet,

wherein the generating of the first modified data packet is performed based on the determining that the further script entry of the plurality of script entries for the first modified data packet is the last script entry.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining whether the script entry is the last script entry for the first modified data packet comprises determining that an end of packet (EOP) indicator in the script entry indicates that the script entry is the last script entry for the first modified data packet.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether the one of further script entries of the plurality of script entries is the last script entry for the second modified data packet,

wherein the copying of the second portion of the data in the data block at a block location and with a block length identified in the one of further script entries into the packet buffer for the second modified data packet is performed in response to the determining that the one of further script entries is not the last script entry for the second modified data packet.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that a further script entry of the plurality of script entries for the second modified data packet is a last script entry for the second modified data packet,

wherein the generating of the second modified data packet is performed based on the determining that the further script entry of the plurality of script entries for the second modified data packet is the last script entry.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the reserving the packet buffer for the first modified data packet and the copying the first portion of the data in the data block at a block location and with a block length identified in the script entry into the packet buffer comprises:

setting a packet buffer marker at a beginning of the packet buffer;

appending a copy of the first portion of the data in the data block at the block location and with the block length identified in the script entry to the packet buffer at the packet buffer marker; and

modifying the packet buffer marker by the block length identified in the script entry.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether the script entry is a last script entry for the first modified data packet in the packet editing script; and

in response to determining that the script entry is not the last script entry for the first modified data packet in the packet editing script, retrieving the each further script entry for the first modified data packet in the packet editing script.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor and a computer readable memory device to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, by a packet editor, a packet editing script comprising a plurality of script entries indicating modifications to be applied to the data packet and a data block comprising data for one or more modified data packets;

determining that a script entry of the plurality of script entries is a first script entry for a first modified data packet;

in response to the determining that the script entry is the first script entry for the first modified data packet, reserving a packet buffer for the first modified data packet;

copying, by the packet editor, a first portion of the data in the data block at a location and a size identified in the script entry and each further script entry for the first modified data packet in the packet editing script into the packet buffer for the first modified data packet;

determining that one of further script entries of the plurality of script entries is a first script entry for a second modified data packet;

in response to the determining that the one of further script entries is the first script entry for the second modified data packet, reserving a packet buffer for the second modified data packet;

copying, by the packet editor, a second portion of the data in the data block at a location and a size identified in the one of further script entries script entry and each further script entry for the second modified data packet in the packet editing script into the packet buffer for the second modified data packet; and

generating, by the packet editor, the first modified data packet based on the packet buffer for the first modified data packet and the second modified data packet based on the packet buffer for the second modified data packet.