Performance of intermediate nodes with flow splicing
First Claim
1. A method for processing network packets at an intermediate node, the method comprising:
- forming a first connection between a first node and the intermediate node this first connection including;
a first flow originating at a first source flow end point on the first node and terminating at a first destination flow end point on the intermediate node, wherein processing at the first node associated with the first source flow end point conforms to a first protocol, anda second flow originating at a second source flow end point on the intermediate node and terminating at a second destination flow end point on the first node, wherein processing at the first node associated with the second destination flow end point conforms to a second protocol;
forming a second connection between a second node and the intermediate node this second connection including;
a third flow originating at a third source flow end point on the intermediate node and terminating at a third destination flow end point on the second node, wherein processing at the second node associated with the third destination flow end point conforms to a third protocol, anda fourth flow originating at a fourth source flow end point on the second node and terminating at a fourth destination flow end point on the intermediate node, wherein processing at the second node associated with the fourth source flow end point conforms to a fourth protocol,such that a given flow originates at a source flow end point on a source node and terminates at a destination flow end point on a destination node and data written to the source flow end point of a given flow can subsequently be read from the destination flow end point of the given flow without traversing any intervening flow end points, andsplicing the first flow and third flow to form a first composite flow originating at the first source flow end point on the first node and terminating at the third destination flow end point on the second node in a manner whereby the second flow and the fourth flow remain unchanged.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for splicing a first data flow inbound to an intermediate node and second data flow outbound from the intermediate node transforms the first data flow and the second data flow into a single composite data flow originating at the source of the first data flow and terminating at the destination of the second data flow. The method allows any other data flows associated with the first or second data flow, such as other data flows associated with connections that encompass either the first or second data flow, to remain unaffected by the splice. The method allows intermediate nodes in a network to influence data flow between a pair of nodes at or above the transport layer without incurring all the overhead commonly associated with transport and higher layer processing.
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Citations
58 Claims
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1. A method for processing network packets at an intermediate node, the method comprising:
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forming a first connection between a first node and the intermediate node this first connection including; a first flow originating at a first source flow end point on the first node and terminating at a first destination flow end point on the intermediate node, wherein processing at the first node associated with the first source flow end point conforms to a first protocol, and a second flow originating at a second source flow end point on the intermediate node and terminating at a second destination flow end point on the first node, wherein processing at the first node associated with the second destination flow end point conforms to a second protocol; forming a second connection between a second node and the intermediate node this second connection including; a third flow originating at a third source flow end point on the intermediate node and terminating at a third destination flow end point on the second node, wherein processing at the second node associated with the third destination flow end point conforms to a third protocol, and a fourth flow originating at a fourth source flow end point on the second node and terminating at a fourth destination flow end point on the intermediate node, wherein processing at the second node associated with the fourth source flow end point conforms to a fourth protocol, such that a given flow originates at a source flow end point on a source node and terminates at a destination flow end point on a destination node and data written to the source flow end point of a given flow can subsequently be read from the destination flow end point of the given flow without traversing any intervening flow end points, and splicing the first flow and third flow to form a first composite flow originating at the first source flow end point on the first node and terminating at the third destination flow end point on the second node in a manner whereby the second flow and the fourth flow remain unchanged. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 57)
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51. An apparatus comprising:
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a first node, a second node, an intermediate node; a first processor that forms a first connection between a first node and the intermediate node the first connection including; a first flow originating at a first source flow end point on the first node and terminating at a first destination flow end point on the intermediate node, wherein processing at the first node associated with the first source flow end point conforms to a first protocol, and a second flow originating at a second source flow end point on the intermediate node and terminating at a second destination flow end point on the first node, wherein processing at the first node associated with the second destination flow end point conforms to a second protocol; a second processor that forms a second connection between a second node and the intermediate node the second connection including; a third flow originating at a third source flow end point on the intermediate node and terminating at a third destination flow end point on the second node, wherein processing at the second node associated with the third destination flow end point conforms to a third protocol, and a fourth flow originating at a fourth source flow end point on the second node and terminating at a fourth destination flow end point on the intermediate node, wherein processing at the second node associated with the fourth source flow end point conforms to a fourth protocol, such that a given flow originates at a source flow end point on a source node and terminates at a destination flow end point on a destination node and data written to the source flow end point of a given flow can subsequently be read from the destination flow end point of the given flow without traversing any intervening flow end points, and a third processor that splices the first flow and third flow to form a first composite flow originating at the first source flow end point on the first node and terminating at the third destination flow end point on the second node in a manner whereby the second flow and the fourth flow remain unchanged.
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52. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the processing of network packets at an intermediate node, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect:
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forming a first connection between a first node and the intermediate node this first connection including; a first flow originating at a first source flow end point on the first node and terminating at a first destination flow end point on the intermediate node, wherein processing at the first node associated with the first source flow end point conforms to a first protocol, and a second flow originating at a second source flow end point on the intermediate node and terminating at a second destination flow end point on the first node, wherein processing at the first node associated with the second destination flow end point conforms to a second protocol; forming a second connection between a second node and the intermediate node this second connection including; a third flow originating at a third source flow end point on the intermediate node and terminating at a third destination flow end point on the second node, wherein processing at the second node associated with the third destination flow end point conforms to a third protocol, and a fourth flow originating at a fourth source flow end point on the second node and terminating at a fourth destination flow end point on the intermediate node, wherein processing at the second node associated with the fourth source flow end point conforms to a fourth protocol, such that a given flow originates at a source flow end point on a source node and terminates at a destination flow end point on a destination node and data written to the source flow end point of a given flow can subsequently be read from the destination flow end point of the given flow without traversing any intervening flow end points, and splicing the first flow and third flow to form a first composite flow originating at the first source flow end point on the first node and terminating at the third destination flow end point on the second node in a manner whereby the second flow and the fourth flow remain unchanged. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56)
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58. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the processing of network packets at an intermediate node, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect:
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forming a first connection between a first node and the intermediate node this first connection including; a first flow originating at a first source flow end point on the first node and terminating at a first destination flow end point on the intermediate node, wherein processing at the first node associated with the first source flow end point conforms to a first protocol, and a second flow originating at a second source flow end point on the intermediate node and terminating at a second destination flow end point on the first node, wherein processing at the first node associated with the second destination flow end point conforms to a second protocol; forming a second connection between a second node and the intermediate node this second connection including; a third flow originating at a third source flow end point on the intermediate node and terminating at a third destination flow end point on the second node, wherein processing at the second node associated with the third destination flow end point conforms to a third protocol, and a fourth flow originating at a fourth source flow end point on the second node and terminating at a fourth destination flow end point on the intermediate node, wherein processing at the second node associated with the fourth source flow end point conforms to a fourth protocol, such that a given flow originates at a source flow end point on a source node and terminates at a destination flow end point on a destination node and data written to the source flow end point of a given flow can subsequently be read from the destination flow end point of the given flow without traversing any intervening flow end points, and splicing the first flow and third flow to form a first composite flow originating at the first source flow end point on the first node and terminating at the third destination flow end point on the second node in a manner whereby the second flow and the fourth flow remain unchanged.
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Specification