System and method for efficient encoding and decoding of protocol messages

• US 6,697,871 B1
• Filed: 09/21/1999
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Network General Technology
• Original Assignee: Network Associates Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Hansen, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V.
• Application Number:
  US09/401,118
• Time in Patent Office: 1,617 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/223, 709/230, 709/234, 709/233, 709/236, 709/247, 707/4, 713/201, 370/392, 380/268
• US Class Current: 709/234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

A system and method for the efficient encoding and decoding of protocol messages is described. In one embodiment, an offset from a beginning of a memory buffer is calculated based upon a maximum size of a header portion of the message. A variable length portion of the message is encoded beginning at the offset, and the header portion of the message is encoded based upon an encoded size of the variable portion and a size of the header portion. The encoding of the header portion begins at the offset less the encoded size of the header portion. Further, a set of object identifiers are decoded into a data structure. If a value portion corresponding to an object identifier of the set of object identifiers is variable in length, the value portion is decoded into the data structure.

Claims

1. A method of encoding protocol messages comprising:

calculating an offset from a beginning of a memory buffer based upon a fixed maximum size of a header portion of the messages;

encoding a variable length portion of each message beginning at the offset; and

encoding the header portion of each message based upon an encoded size of the variable length portion and a size of the header portion, said encoding of the header portion beginning at the offset less the encoded size of the header portion.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

encoding a message header of each message based upon the encoded size of the variable length portion, an encoded size of the header portion, and a size of a message portion, said encoding a message header beginning at the offset less the size of the header portion and less the size of the message portion.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

allocating the memory buffer based upon a maximum size of the protocol messages.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the maximum size of the messages is the minimum of an encoded-buffer-maximum length or an optimized length, said optimized length is a maximum length of the header portion plus a maximum encoded variable length portion length times the average number of variable length portions in the messages.

5. A system for encoding protocol messages comprising:

means for calculating an offset within a memory buffer based upon a fixed maximum size of a header portion of the messages;

means for encoding a variable length portion of each message beginning at the offset; and

means for encoding the header portion of each message based upon an encoded size of the variable length portion and a size of the header portion, said means for encoding of the header portion beginning at the offset less the encoded size of the header portion.

6. A system for encoding protocol messages comprising:

a memory buffer for storing said messages, each of said messages having a header portion and a variable length portion;

an offset from the beginning of the memory buffer, said offset based upon a fixed maximum size of the header portion; and

a network analyzing agent for encoding the variable length portion of a message beginning at the offset, and for encoding the header portion of the message based upon an encoded size of the variable length portion and a size of the header portion, said encoding of the header portion beginning at the offset less the encoded size of the header portion.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the analyzing agent further encodes a message header of the message based upon the encoded size of the variable length portion, an encoded size of the header portion, and a size of a message portion, said header is encoded beginning at the offset less the size of the header portion and less the size of the message portion.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the analyzing agent allocates the memory buffer based upon a maximum size of the protocol messages.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the maximum size of the messages is the minimum of an encoded-buffer-maximum length or an optimized length, said optimized length is a maximum length of the header portion plus a maximum encoded variable length portion length times the average number of variable length portions in the messages.

10. An article of manufacture including one or more computer-readable media with executable instructions therein, which when executed by a processing device causes the processing device to:

calculate an offset from a beginning of a memory buffer based upon a fixed maximum size of a header portion of protocol messages;

encode a variable length portion of each message beginning at the offset; and

encode the header portion of each message based upon an encoded size of the variable length portion and a size of the header portion, said encoding of the header portion beginning at the offset less the encoded size of the header portion.

11. The medium of claim 10 wherein the processing device encodes a message header of each message based upon the encoded size of the variable length portion, an encoded size of the header portion, and a size of a message portion, said encoding a message header beginning at the offset less the size of the header portion and less the size of the message portion.

12. The medium of claim 10 wherein the processing device allocates the memory buffer based upon a maximum size of the protocol messages.

13. The medium of claim 12 wherein the maximum size of the messages is the minimum of an encoded-buffer-maximum length or an optimized length, said optimized length is a maximum length of the header portion plus a maximum encoded variable length portion length times the average number of variable length portions in the messages.

14. A memory for storing data for access by an application program being executed on a data processing system, comprising:

a data structure stored in said memory, said data structure including information resident in a database used by said application program and including,

a plurality of memory buffers used for the encoding of protocol messages, wherein each memory buffer includes,

an offset within the buffer based upon a fixed maximum size of a header portion of the protocol messages, and

a variable length portion of each protocol message that is encoded beginning at the offset, wherein said header portion is encoded based upon an encoded size of the variable length portion and a size of the header portion, said header portion is encoded beginning at the offset less the encoded size of the header portion.