Protocol separation in packet communication

• US 6,456,632 B1
• Filed: 08/27/1998
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Services Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Baum, Robert T., Eggerl, Edward M., Burton, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): CANGIALOSI, SALVATORE A
• Application Number:
  US09/141,725
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 370/474, 370/392, 370/271, 370/494, 370/495, 370/490, 709/231
• US Class Current: 370/490
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/193 at the transport layer, e.g. TCP related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/43 Assembling or disassembling of packets, e.g. segmentation and reassembly [SAR]

Abstract

There is provided a protocol separator having a processor with an input port and output ports, and data links connected to the input port and to the output ports, with the data link to the input port carrying packetized data including packets of different protocols, the data link to one of the output ports carrying packets of a first protocol removed from the stream by the processor, and with the data link connected to the other output port carrying the remainder of the packets which were delivered to the input port. The protocol separator operates by determining at least part of a byte in the selected protocol packets which characterizes that protocol, monitoring the stream to detect the occurrence of that part of a byte, and diverting packets containing the part of a byte from the stream to one of the outputs. The remainder of the stream is fed to the second output.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transporting a stream of packetized data including packets of different protocols;

determining at least part of a byte in said packets which characterizes one of said protocols;

monitoring said stream to detect the occurrence of said at least part of a byte; and

diverting packets containing said at least part of a byte from said stream.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said characteristic comprises one or more bits in said byte.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein said byte appears in a fixed position in packets in which it is found.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said monitoring is performed in a manner other than reading an address.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein said monitoring step includes counting byte positions in a packet.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein said monitoring is performed in a manner other than reading an address.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein said part of a byte consists of one bit.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein said protocol comprises User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein said stream comprises a TCP/IP stream including User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets.

10. A protocol separator comprising:

a processor device having an input port and multiple output ports;

a first data link connected to said input port carrying packetized data including packets of different protocols;

a second data link connected to one of said output ports carrying packets of a first protocol removed from said stream by said processor device; and

a third data link connected to the other of said two output ports carrying the remainder of the packets delivered to said input port;

said packets of a first protocol being separated from the packets entering said input port by said processor device monitoring said stream to detect the occurrence of at least part of a predetermined byte in the monitored packets which characterizes said first protocol, and directing identified packets to said second data link, and directing the remainder of the packets to said third data link.

11. A device according to claim 10 wherein said part of said byte comprises one or more bits.

12. A device according to claim 11 wherein said wherein said byte appears in a fixed position in packets in which it is found.

13. A device according to claim 12 wherein said monitoring is performed in a manner other than reading an address.

14. A device according to claim 13 wherein said monitoring step includes counting byte positions in a packet.

15. A device according to claim 14 wherein said part of a byte consists of one bit.

16. A device according to claim 15 wherein said protocol comprises User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

17. A device according to claim 14 wherein said packetized data on said first link comprises a TCP/IP data including User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets.

18. A method of transporting User Datagram Protocol (UDP)packets containing packetized voice over a packet internetwork system having dual pathways, comprising:

inputting a stream of multi-protocol packets to one of said pathways;

determining at least part of a byte in said packets which characterizes the packets containing packetized voice;

monitoring said stream to detect the occurrence of said at least part of a byte; and

diverting packets containing said at least part of a byte from said stream to the other of said pathways.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein said characteristic comprises one or more bits in said byte.

20. A method according to claim 19 wherein said byte appears in a fixed position in packets in which it is found.

21. A method according to claim 20 wherein said monitoring is performed in a manner other than reading an address.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein said monitoring step includes counting byte positions in a packet.

23. A method according to claim 18 wherein said monitoring is performed in a manner other than reading an address.

24. A met hod according to claim 18 wherein said part of a byte consists of one bit.

25. A method according to claim 24 wherein said protocol comprises User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

26. A method according to claim 18 wherein said stream comprises a TCP/IP stream including User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets.

27. In a hybrid multi-network communication system including a telephone network coupled to a packet internetwork, the improvement comprising a packet redirector having:

a processor device associated with said packet internetwork and having an input port and multiple output ports;

a first data link connected to said input port carrying packetized data input including packets of different protocols and including packets carrying packetized voice signals from said telephone network;

a second data link connected to one of said output ports carrying packets carrying said packetized voice signals from said telephone network which have been removed from said packetized data input by said processor device;

a third data link connected to the other of said multiple output ports carrying the remainder of the input packets which were delivered to said input port;

said packets carried by said second link having been separated from the packets entering said input port by said processor device monitoring said input to detect the occurrence of at least part of a predetermined byte in the monitored packets which characterizes said packets carrying packetized voice, and directing identified packets to said second data link, and directing the remainder of the packets to said third data link.

28. A system according to claim 27 wherein said internetwork has two pathways and said second link is connected to one of said pathways and said third link is connected to the other of said pathways.

29. A system according to claim 28 wherein said internetwork comprises the Internet.

30. A system according to claim 28 wherein said characteristic comprises one or more bits in said byte.

31. A system according to claim 28 wherein said byte appears in a fixed position in packets in which it is found.

32. A system according to claim 31 wherein said monitoring is performed in a manner other than reading an address.

33. A system according to claim 31 wherein said monitoring step includes counting byte positions in a packet.

34. A system according to claim 33 wherein said monitoring is performed in a manner other than reading an address.

35. A system according to claim 34 wherein said part of a byte consists of one bit.

36. A method of transporting packets of different protocols via different segments of a communication network, comprising:

receiving a stream of packetized data including data packets in a plurality of different protocols;

monitoring the stream to determine the presence or absence of at least part of a predetermined byte, which characterizes one of said protocols, in each of the received packets;

transporting packets determined to contain said at least part of the predetermined byte via a first segment of the communication network; and

transporting packets determined to not contain said at least part of the predetermined byte via a second segment of the communication network separate from the first segment of the communication network.

37. A method as in claim 36, wherein the transporting of the packets determined to contain said at least part of the predetermined byte via the first segment of the communication network provides a quality of service supporting real-time communications traffic.

38. A method as in claim 37, wherein the transporting of the packets determined to contain said at least part of the predetermined byte via the first segment of the communication network provides increased speed and reduced latency.

39. A method as in claim 36, wherein the one protocol comprises User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

40. A method as in claim 39, wherein another one of the protocols comprises Transmission Control Protocol (TCP).

41. A method as in claim 40, wherein at least some packets of UDP carry voice telephone communications data.

42. A method as in claim 36, wherein said predetermined byte appears in a fixed position in each packet in which it is present.

43. A method as in claim 36, wherein said monitoring is performed in a manner other than reading an address.

44. A packet communication network comprising:

first and second network layers for transporting packetized data;

a network node, comprising;

(a) an input data link interface, for receiving a stream of packetized data including data packets in a plurality of different protocols;

(b) a first output data link interface coupled for transmission of data packets via the first network layer;

(c) a second output data link interface coupled for transmission of data packets via the second network layer; and

(d) a processor for;

monitoring the stream of packetized data received via the input data link interface, to determine the presence or absence of at least part of a predetermined byte, which characterizes one of said protocols, in each of the received packets;

directing packets determined to contain said at least part of the predetermined byte for transmission through the first output data link interface to the first network layer; and

directing other packets for transmission through the second output data link interface to the second network layer.

45. A network as in claim 44, wherein the first network layer provides a quality of service supporting real-time communications traffic.

46. A network as in claim 44, wherein the processor is adapted such that the monitoring is performed in a manner other than reading an address.