Network apparatus for switching based on content of application data

• US 6,732,175 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2000
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Abjanic, John B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc H.
• Application Number:
  US09/549,041
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/227, 709/246, 715/511, 715/512, 715/513, 707/512, 707/513, 707/523, 707/203
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/28 in relation to timing considerations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/31 by tagging of packets, e.g. using discard eligibility [DE] bits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/33 using forward notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/252 Store and forward routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0471 applying encryption by an intermediary, e.g. receiving clear information at the intermediary and encrypting the received information at the intermediary before forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/562 Brokering proxy services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A network apparatus is provided between a network and a plurality of processing nodes or servers. The network apparatus includes a content based message director (e.g., XML director) to route or direct messages received from the network to one of the processing nodes based upon the application data, including business transaction information

Claims

1. An XML director comprising:

an XML checker to determine whether a received message includes XML information;

an XML parser coupled to the XML checker to parse XML tranasaction information in the message if the XML checker determines that the message includes XML information;

a content based switching decision logic coupled to the XML parser to receive one or more configuration patterns, the content based switching decision logic to make a switching decision for the received message based upon a comparison of the one or more configuration patterns to the XML transaction information if the XML checker determines that the message includes XNL information; and

an output interface coupled to the content based switching decision logic to switch the message to a processing node based upon the switching decision if the message includes XML information, the output interface to switch the message without XML parsing if the message does not include XML information.

2. The XML director of claim 1 wherein the XML director comprises a traffic manager.

3. The XML director of claim 1 wherein the XML director comprises a network processor.

4. The XML director of claim 1 wherein the processing node comprises a server to process requests or business transactions provided in the messages.

5. A data center comprising:

a plurality of processing nodes to process messages;

a content based message director coupled between a network and the plurality of processing nodes, the content based message director comprising an XML checker to determine if the message includes XML information, the content based message director comprising a content based switching decision logic to make a switching decision to make a switching decision based upon XML transaction information in a received message if the XML checker determines that the message include XML information, the content based message director comprising an output interface to route or direct a received message to one of the processing nodes based upon the switching decision if the message includes XML information, otherwise the content based message director to route or direct the message while bypassing or omitting XML-related processing.

6. A method of XML based switching comprising:

receiving a XML message, the message including business transaction information provided in a XML based language;

determining if the message includes XML information; and

performing the following only if the message includes XML information;

XML parsing the message;

comparing the XML business transaction information to one or more configuration patterns;

switching the received XML message to one of a plurality of processing nodes or application servers based upon the comparing.