Method and apparatus for content based switching

• US 7,590,729 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2006
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sze, Tak F., Abjanic, John B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh; John B.
• Application Number:
  US11/464,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20060288122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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

Various embodiments are described for performing pattern matching for content based switching. In one embodiment, an apparatus may include a document parser and a pattern parser. The document parser may be arranged to parse a document having transaction information and to create a document object from the transaction information. The pattern parser may be arranged to parse pattern information of a pattern for one or more elements according to a predefined pattern object data structure and to place the elements in appropriate blocks within the pattern object data structure. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A network apparatus, comprising:

a document parser to parse a document having transaction information and to create a document object from said transaction information;

a pattern parser to parse pattern information of a pattern for one or more elements according to a predefined pattern object data structure and to place said elements in appropriate blocks within said pattern object data structure;

a pattern object generator to receive said pattern information of a pattern and to create a pattern object from said pattern information; and

content based switching decision logic to make a switching decision for a message based upon a comparison of said document object with said pattern object, said pattern object contains at least one expression, and said content based switching logic evaluates said at least one expression for a match with said document object.

2. The network apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a document object generator to receive said document having transaction information.

3. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transaction information and said pattern information represent XML information.

4. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein said document object represents a logical tree of said transaction information.

5. The network apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an output interface to receive a message from a network and to receive said switching decision from said content based switching decision logic, said output interface to route or switch the received message to one of a plurality of processing nodes to process said message based upon said switching decision.

6. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pattern object comprises at least one sub-expression represented by an expression object.

7. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein said expression comprises an expression type and expression data.

8. A system comprising:

a network apparatus comprising a content based message director coupled to a wireless telephone, said content based message director comprising;

a document parser to parse said document and create a document object from said transaction information;

a pattern parser to parse pattern information of a pattern for one or more elements according to a predefined pattern object data structure and to place said elements in appropriate blocks within said pattern object data structure;

a pattern object generator to receive said pattern information of a pattern and to create a pattern object from said pattern information; and

content based switching decision logic to make a switching decision for a message based upon a comparison of said document object with said pattern object, said pattern object contains at least one expression, and said content based switching logic evaluates said at least one expression for a match with said document object.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a document object generator to receive said document having transaction information.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising an output interface to receive a message from a network and to receive said switching decision from said content based switching decision logic, said output interface to route or switch the received message to one of a plurality of processing nodes to process said message based upon said switching decision.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said transaction information and said pattern information represent XML information.

12. A method comprising:

parsing, by a document parser, a document having transaction information;

creating, by said document parser, a document object using said transaction information;

parsing, by a pattern parser, pattern information of a pattern for one or more elements according to a predefined pattern object data structure;

placing said elements in appropriate blocks within said pattern object data structure;

creating a pattern object from said pattern information;

making a switching decision, using content based switching decision logic, for a message based upon a comparison of said document object with said pattern object; and

evaluating, using said content based switching logic, at least one expression contained in said pattern object for a match with said document object.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a message from a network,

receiving said switching decision, and routing or switching the received message to one of a plurality of processing nodes to process said message based upon said switching decision.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said transaction information and said pattern information represent XML information.

15. An article comprising:

a storage medium;

said storage medium including stored instructions that, when executed by a processor, result in parsing a document having transaction information, creating a document object using said transaction information, parsing pattern information of a pattern for one or more elements according to a predefined pattern object data structure, placing said elements in appropriate blocks within said pattern object data structure, creating a pattern object from said pattern information, making a switching decision for a message based upon a comparison of said document object with said pattern object, and evaluating at least one expression contained in said pattern object for a match with said document object.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the stored instructions, when executed by a processor, further result in receiving a message from a network, receiving said switching decision, and routing or switching the received message to one of a plurality of processing nodes to process said message based upon said switching decision.

17. The article of claim 15, wherein said transaction information and said pattern information represent XML information.