Distributed, rule based packet redirection

• US 6,836,462 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2000
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Albert, Mark, Tiwari, Pranav, Nix, Shannon, Menditto, Louis F., Tsang, Tzu-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, TIMOTHY L
• Application Number:
  US09/651,436
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 370/235, 370/236, 370/236.1, 370/236.2, 370/237, 370/252, 709/238, 709/239, 709/242, 709/244
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/026 using flow identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/76 Routing in software-defined topologies, e.g. routing between virtual machines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/25 of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A forwarding agent is implemented on a router. The forwarding agent receives instructions from a service manager for redirecting packets that match the instructions. A packet is received that matches the instructions and the packet is redirected according to the instructions.

Claims

1. A method of providing a network service including:

implementing a forwarding agent and a service manager on a network device, wherein the forwarding agent is operative to receive instructions from the service manager;

receiving instructions from the service manager for redirecting packets that match the instructions;

receiving a packet that matches the instructions; and

redirecting the packet according to the instructions, wherein the packet is redirected using a network address translation operation which is signaled through an affinity key included in the instructions, the affinity key propagating through the forwarding agent and being identified by the service manager.

2. A method of providing a network service as recited in claim 1 wherein the packet is determined to match the instructions based on the packet source IP address.

3. A method of providing a network service as recited in claim 1 wherein the packet is determined to match the instructions based on the packet destination IP address.

4. A method of providing a network service as recited in claim 1 wherein the packet is determined to match the instructions based on the packet source port.

5. A method of providing a network service as recited in claim 1 wherein the packet is determined to match the instructions based on the packet destination port.

6. A method of providing a network service as recited in claim 1 wherein the forwarding agent forwards packets to the service manager using UDP.

7. A method of providing a network service as recited in claim 1 wherein the affinity key is a selected one of a fixed affinity and a wildcard affinity both of which are operable to signal the network address translation operation.

8. A method of providing a network service as recited in claim 1 wherein the packet is determined to match the instructions based on whether the packet source IP belongs to a set of IP addresses.

9. A method of providing a network service as recited in claim 1 wherein the packet is determined to match the instructions based on whether the packet destination IP belongs to a set of IP addresses.

10. A method of providing a network service as recited in claim 1 further including gathering statistics about the packet.

11. A method of providing a network service as recited in claim 1 further including receiving updated instructions for redirecting packets.

12. A method of providing a network service as recited in claim 1 further including receiving updated instructions for redirecting packets wherein the updated instructions are derived using information provided in statistics gathered by the forwarding agent.

13. A forwarding agent implemented on a network device, comprising:

a service manager receiving interface for receiving instructions from a service manager specifying actions to be performed for server designated packets;

a network packet receiving interface for receiving IP packets from a network;

a network packet forwarding interface for forwarding IP packets to the network; and

a processor for performing the specified actions on the packets that match the instructions, wherein the packets are redirected using a network address translation operation which is signaled through an affinity key included in the instructions, the affinity key propagating through the forwarding agent and being identified by the service manager.

14. A forwarding agent as recited in claim 13 further including a service manager instruction storage for storing the service manager instructions.

15. A forwarding agent as recited in claim 13 wherein the stored criteria include a set of source IP addresses.

16. A forwarding agent as recited in claim 13 wherein the stored criteria include a set of destination IP addresses.

17. A forwarding agent as recited in claim 13 wherein the stored criteria include a set of source ports.

18. A forwarding agent as recited in claim 13 wherein the stored criteria include a set of destination ports.

19. A forwarding agent as recited in claim 13 further including a memory for storing statistics about the packets that match the instructions.

20. A forwarding agent as recited in claim 13 further including an interface for sending statistics about the packets that match the instructions.

21. A computer program product for handling packets, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving instructions at a forwarding agent from a service manager for redirecting packets that match the instructions, wherein the forwarding agent and the service manager are implemented on a network device;

receiving a packet that matches the instructions; and

redirecting the packet according to the instructions, wherein the packet is redirected using a network address translation operation which is signaled through an affinity key included in the instructions, the affinity key propagating through the forwarding agent and being identified by the service manager.

22. A forwarding agent implemented on a network device, comprising:

means for receiving instructions from a service manager specifying actions to be performed for server designated packets;

means for receiving IP packets from a network;

means for forwarding IP packets to the network; and

means for performing the specified actions on the packets that match the instructions, wherein the packets are redirected using a network address translation operation which is signaled through an affinity key included in the instructions, the affinity key propagating through the forwarding agent and being identified by the service manager.

23. A forwarding agent as recited in claim 22 further including means for storing the service manager instructions.

24. A forwarding agent as recited in claim 22 further including means for storing statistics about the packets that match the instructions.

25. A forwarding agent as recited in claim 22 further including means for sending statistics about the packets that match the instructions.