Systems and methods for data processing using a protocol parsing engine

• US 6,493,761 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2001
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NB Networks LLC
• Original Assignee: NB Networks LLC
• Inventors: Baker, Peter D., Neal, Karen
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US09/898,852
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/202-203, 709/213-214, 709/220, 709/223-224, 709/227-230, 709/249-250, 370/400-401
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/028 by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/18 Protocol analysers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/03 Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The invention provides a general-purpose data parsing and analysis system and methods of use. A common system is used for analyzing any data composed of interrelated data structures similar to the protocols found within network frames. A single logic control module is utilized to perform any number of data manipulation functions, for example parsing, filtering, statistics collection and format conversion based upon one or more programmably configurable protocol descriptions, which may be stored in and retrieved from an associated data storage device.

Claims

1. A method for parsing data according to configurable criteria, the method comprising steps of:

storing in a first data storage device a plurality of programmably configurable protocol descriptions that define a plurality of control character characteristics of the data;

storing in a second data storage device a program for controlling a data parsing function to be executed by a processing unit, the program including instructions for causing the processing unit to selectively retrieve at least one of the programmably configurable protocol descriptions from the first data storage device and to vary the execution of the data parsing function based upon the at least one retrieved protocol description file;

delivering the program for controlling the data parsing function to the processing unit;

delivering the data to the processing unit; and

enabling the processing unit to execute the data parsing function.

2. A method for filtering data, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in a first data storage device a plurality of programmably configurable protocol descriptions, the programmably configurable protocol descriptions defining one or more data filter criteria;

storing in a second data storage device a program for controlling a data filtering function to be executed by a processing unit, the program including instructions for causing the processing unit to selectively retrieve at least one of the programmably configurable protocol descriptions from the first data storage device and to vary the execution of the data filtering function based upon the at least one retrieved protocol description;

delivering to the processing unit the program for controlling the data filtering function;

delivering to the processing unit the data; and

enabling the processing unit to execute the data filtering function.

3. A method for filtering data, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in a first data storage device a plurality of programmably configurable protocol descriptions and a plurality of programmably configurable filter channel descriptions, the programmably configurable filter channel descriptions defining one or more data filter criteria;

storing in a second data storage device a program for controlling a data filtering function to be executed by a processing unit, the program including instructions for causing the processing unit to selectively retrieve at least one of the programmably configurable protocol descriptions and to selectively retrieve at least one of the programmably configurable filter channel descriptions from the first data storage device and to vary the execution of the data filtering function based upon the at least one retrieved protocol description and the at least one retrieved filter channel description;

delivering to the processing unit the program for controlling the data filtering function;

delivering to the processing unit the data; and

enabling the processing unit to execute the data filtering function.

4. A method for gathering statistics on data, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in a first data storage device a plurality of programmably configurable protocol descriptions, the programmably configurable protocol descriptions defining at least one data statistics gathering criterion;

storing in a second data storage device a program for controlling a data statistics gathering function to be executed by a processing unit, the program including instructions for causing the processing unit to selectively retrieve at least one of the programmably configurable protocol descriptions from the first data storage device and to vary the execution of the data statistics gathering function based upon the at least one retrieved protocol description;

delivering to the processing unit the program for controlling the data statistics gathering function;

delivering to the processing unit the data; and

enabling the processing unit to execute the data statistics gathering function.

5. A method for executing data conversion on data files, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in a first data storage device a plurality of programmably configurable protocol descriptions, the programmably configurable protocol descriptions defining at least one data conversion;

storing in a second data storage device a program for controlling a data conversion function to be executed by a processing unit, the program including instructions for causing the processing unit to selectively retrieve the at least one programmably configurable protocol description from the first data storage device and to vary the execution of the data conversion function based upon the at least one retrieved protocol description;

delivering to the processing unit the program for controlling the data conversion function;

delivering to the processing unit the data; and

enabling the processing unit to execute the data conversion function.

6. A system for manipulating data files, the system comprising:

a logic control module capable of accessing a plurality of programmably configurable protocol descriptions stored in a data storage device, the programmably configurable protocol descriptions each including a protocol control record and at least one field sub-record for defining a selected portion of a data character set protocol definition to be manipulated and a plurality of rules for manipulating said portion of said protocol;

the logic control module including file and protocol header length determination logic, data conversion logic, statistics gathering logic, next protocol determination logic, filtering logic, and logic for controlling, based upon the programmably configurable protocol description, one or more character manipulation functions to be implemented by the system.

7. A machine implemented process for parsing data according to programmably configurable criteria, the process comprising the steps of:

storing at least one programmably configurable protocol description in a data storage device, the at least one programmably configurable protocol description comprising a protocol control record and at least one field sub-record for defining a plurality of data characteristics;

retrieving the at least one protocol description from the data storage device; and

providing the at least one protocol description file to a logic control module, the logic control module, upon receiving the at least one protocol description, being configured to parse data based upon the characteristics defined by the protocol description.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein a plurality of programmably configurable protocol descriptions are stored in the data storage device, and wherein the programmably configurable protocol descriptions are selectively retrieved from the data storage device in response to selected data sequences.

9. A machine implemented process for filtering data according to programmably configurable criteria, the process comprising the steps of:

storing at least one programmably configurable protocol description in a data storage device, the at least one programmably configurable protocol description comprising a protocol control record and at least one field sub-record for defining a plurality of characteristics of the data;

retrieving the at least one protocol description from the data storage device; and

providing the at least one protocol description to a logic control module, the logic control module, upon receiving the at least one protocol description, being configured to filter data based upon the characteristics defined in the protocol description.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein a plurality of programmably configurable protocol descriptions are stored in the data storage device, and wherein the programmably configurable protocol descriptions are selectively retrieved from the data storage device in response to selected data sequences.

11. A machine implemented process for gathering statistics on data characteristics according to programmably configurable criteria, the process comprising the steps of:

storing at least one programmably configurable protocol description in a data storage device, the at least one programmably configurable protocol description comprising a protocol control record and at least one field sub-record for defining a plurality of characteristics of the data;

retrieving the at least one protocol description from the data storage device; and

providing the at least one protocol description to a logic control module, the logic control module, upon receiving the at least one protocol description, being configured to gather statistics based upon the characteristics defined in the protocol description.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein a plurality of programmably configurable protocol descriptions are stored in the data storage device, and wherein the programmably configurable protocol descriptions are selectively retrieved from the data storage device in response to selected data sequences.

13. A machine implemented process for converting data characters according to programmably configurable criteria, the process comprising the steps of:

storing at least one programmably configurable protocol description file in a data storage device, the at least one programmably configurable protocol description file comprising a protocol control record and at least one field sub-record for defining a plurality of characteristics of the data;

retrieving the at least one protocol description from the data storage device; and

providing the at least one protocol description to a logic control module configured such that upon receiving the at least one protocol description, the logic control module converts data characters based upon the characteristics defined by the protocol description.

14. The process of claim 13, wherein a plurality of programmably configurable protocol descriptions are stored in the data storage device, and wherein the programmably configurable protocol descriptions are selectively retrieved from the data storage device in response to selected data sequences.