Network router configured for executing network operations based on parsing XML tags in a received XML document

• US 7,065,706 B1
• Filed: 08/06/2001
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sankar, Krishna I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): STORK, KYLE R
• Application Number:
  US09/921,780
• Time in Patent Office: 1,779 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/523, 715/505, 715/517, 715/530, 709/200, 709/203, 709/206, 709/207, 709/245
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/355 Application aware switches, e.g. for HTTP

Abstract

A router is configured for routing, via an open protocol network, a received message to a destination node based on parsing an XML portion within the received message. The router includes an XML parser configured for parsing XML tags specifying prescribed attributes, and an application resource configured for interpreting the prescribed attributes for a determined service based on runtime execution of the application resource. In particular, the runtime execution of the application resource provides application-specific syntax and semantics enabling interpretation of the parsed XML tags. The application resource, in response to interpreting the prescribed attributes, initiates selected application operations, including outputting the received message to a prescribed destination, based on the execution of the prescribed application operations.

Claims

1. A router configured for forwarding a received message, the router comprising:

a network interface configured for receiving the received message from a source node, and forwarding the received message to a destination node, via an open protocol network, according to selected application operations;

an extensible markup language (XML) parser configured for parsing XML tags from a portion of the received message, the XML tags specifying prescribed attributes;

an application resource configured for interpreting the prescribed attributes from the XML tags based on runtime execution of the application resource, the application resource initiating the selected application operations for routing the received message to the destination node, wherein the application resource is configured for interpreting the prescribed attributes based on retrieval of prescribed syntax and semantics information; and

a vocabulary library having vocabulary modules, each specifying the prescribed syntax and semantics information for a corresponding group of XML tags, the application resource configured for retrieving the prescribed syntax and semantics information from a selected one of the vocabulary modules based on parsing a first of the XML tags from the received message and specifying the corresponding one vocabulary module.

2. The router of claim 1, wherein the application resource is configured for accessing, as one of the selected application operations, prescribed attribute information from a server providing information services via the open protocol network, the prescribed attribute information used for routing the received message.

3. The router of claim 2, wherein the application resource accesses application services information as the prescribed attribute information based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying an application services requirement.

4. The router of claim 3, wherein the application services information specifies quality of service information, the router configured for routing the received message based on the quality of service information.

5. The router of claim 4, wherein the application resource is configured for accessing destination information based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying a destination requirement.

6. The router of claim 5, wherein the open protocol network is an Internet Protocol network.

7. The router of claim 5, wherein the application resource is configured for selecting the destination node based on correlating the destination information with the quality of service information.

8. The router of claim 2, wherein the application resource is configured for accessing security information from the server based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying a security requirement, the application resource configured for selectively routing the received message based on the accessed security information.

9. The router of claim 8, wherein the application resource is configured for accessing destination information based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying a destination requirement, the destination information specifying multiple destination nodes, the application resource configured for selectively routing the received message to authorized ones of the destination nodes based on the accessed security information.

10. The router of claim 2, wherein the application resource is configured for accessing destination information based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying a document type, wherein the prescribed syntax and semantics information specifies respective destinations for respective document types, the application resource configured for determining the destination node based on the destination information and the document type.

11. The router of claim 10, wherein the application is configured for retrieving quality of service information for available destinations, the router configured for determining the destination node based on the received quality of service information and the document type.

12. A method in a router of forwarding a received message, the method comprising:

receiving the received message from a source node via an open protocol network;

parsing XML tags from a portion of the received message, the XML tags specifying prescribed attributes;

initiating selected application operations for routing the received message based on interpreting the prescribed attributes from the XML tags according to runtime execution of an application resource, wherein the initiating step includes interpreting the prescribed attributes based on retrieval of prescribed syntax and semantics information, and wherein the interpreting step includes retrieving the prescribed syntax and semantics information from a selected one of a plurality of vocabulary modules based on parsing a first of the XML tags from the received message and specifying the corresponding one vocabulary module, each vocabulary module accessible by the router specifying the prescribed syntax and semantics information for corresponding group of XML tags; and

selectively outputting the received message to a destination node based on the selected application operations, wherein the method is conducted by the router.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the initiating step includes accessing the prescribed attribute information from a server providing information services via the open protocol network, and determining routing attributes based on the prescribed attribute information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the accessing step includes accessing application services information as the prescribed attribute information based on parsing an at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying an application services requirement.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining step includes determining the routing attributes based on quality of service information specified within the application services information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the accessing step includes accessing destination information based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying a destination requirement.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the open protocol network is an Internet Protocol network.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining step includes selecting the destination node based on correlating the destination information with the quality of service information.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the accessing step includes accessing security information from the server based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying a security requirement, the determining step including selectively routing the received message based on the accessed security information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the accessing step further includes accessing destination information based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying a destination requirement, the destination information specifying multiple destination nodes, the selectively routing step including forwarding the received message to authorized ones of the destination nodes based on the accessed security information.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the accessing step includes accessing destination information based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying a document type, wherein the prescribed syntax and semantics information specifies respective destinations for respective document types, the determining step including identifying the destination node based on the destination information and the document type.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the accessing step further includes retrieving quality of service information for available destinations, the determining step including identifying the destination node based on the received quality of service information and the document type.

23. A computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions for forwarding a received message by a router, the sequences of instructions including instructions for performing the steps of:

receiving the received message from a source node via an open protocol network;

parsing XML tags from a portion of the received message, the XML tags specifying prescribed attributes;

initiating selected application operations for routing the received message based on interpreting the prescribed attributes from the XML tags according to runtime execution of an application resource, wherein the initiating step includes interpreting the prescribed attributes based on retrieval of prescribed syntax and semantics information, and wherein the interpreting step includes retrieving the prescribed syntax and semantics information from a selected one of a plurality of vocabulary modules based on parsing a first of the XML tags from the received message and specifying the corresponding one vocabulary module, each vocabulary module accessible by the router specifying the prescribed syntax and semantics information for corresponding group of XML tags; and

selectively outputting the received message to a destination node based on the selected application operations, wherein the instructions are conducted by the router.

24. The medium of claim 23, wherein the initiating step includes accessing the prescribed attribute information from a server providing information services via the open protocol network, and determining routing attributes based on the prescribed attribute information.

25. The medium of claim 24, wherein the accessing step includes accessing application services information as the prescribed attribute information based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying an application services requirement.

26. The medium of claim 25, wherein the determining step includes determining the routing attributes based on quality of service information specified within the application services information.

27. The medium of claim 26, wherein the accessing step includes accessing destination information based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying a destination requirement.

28. The medium of claim 27, wherein the open protocol network is an Internet Protocol network.

29. The medium of claim 27, wherein the determining step includes selecting the destination node based on correlating the destination information with the quality of service information.

30. The medium of claim 24, wherein the accessing step includes accessing security information from the server based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying a security requirement, the determining step including selectively routing the received message based on the accessed security information.

31. The medium of claim 30, wherein the accessing step further includes accessing destination information based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying a destination requirement, the destination information specifying multiple destination nodes, the selectively routing step including forwarding the received message to authorized ones of the destination nodes based on the accessed security information.

32. The medium of claim 24, wherein the accessing step includes accessing destination information based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying a document type, wherein the prescribed syntax and semantics information specifies respective destinations for respective document types, the determining step including identifying the destination node based on the destination information and the document type.

33. The medium of claim 32, wherein the accessing step further includes retrieving quality of service information for available destinations, the determining step including identifying the destination node based on the received quality of service information and the document type.

34. A router configured for forwarding a received message, the router comprising:

means for receiving the received message from a source node via an open protocol network;

means for parsing XML tags from a portion of the received message, the XML tags specifying prescribed attributes;

means for initiating selected application operations for routing the received message based on interpreting the prescribed attributes from the XML tags according to runtime execution of an application resource, wherein the initiating means is configured for interpreting the prescribed attributes based on retrieval of prescribed syntax and semantics information, and wherein the interpreting means is configured for retrieving the prescribed syntax and semantics information from a selected one of a plurality of vocabulary modules based on parsing a first of the XML tags from the received message and specifying the corresponding one vocabulary module, each vocabulary module accessible by the router specifying the prescribed syntax and semantics information for corresponding group of XML tags; and

means for selectively outputting the received message to a destination node based on the selected application operations.

35. The router of claim 34, wherein the initiating means is configured for accessing the prescribed attribute information from a server providing information services via the open protocol network, and determining routing attributes based on the prescribed attribute information.

36. The router of claim 35, wherein the initiating means is configured for accessing application services information as the prescribed attribute information based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying an application services requirement.

37. The router of claim 36, wherein the initiating means is configured for determining the routing attributes based on quality of service information specified within the application services information.

38. The router of claim 37, wherein the initiating means is configured for accessing destination information based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying a destination requirement.

39. The router of claim 38, wherein the open protocol network is an Internet Protocol network.

40. The router of claim 38, wherein the initiating means is configured for selecting the destination node based on correlating the destination information with the quality of service information.

41. The router of claim 37, wherein the initiating means is configured for accessing security information from the server based on parsing an at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying a security requirement, and selectively routing the received message based on the accessed security information.

42. The router of claim 41, wherein the initiating means is configured for accessing destination information based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying a destination requirement, the destination information specifying multiple destination nodes, the initiating means configured for forwarding the received message to authorized ones of the destination nodes based on the accessed security information.

43. The router of claim 35, wherein the initiating means is configured for accessing destination information based on parsing at least one of the XML tags from the received message specifying a document type, wherein the prescribed syntax and semantics information specifies respective destinations for respective document types, the initiating means configured for identifying the destination node based on the destination information and the document type.

44. The router of claim 43, wherein the initiating means is configured for retrieving quality of service information for available destinations, and identifying the destination node based on the received quality of service information and the document type.