Dynamically adding application logic and protocol adapters to a programmable network element

• US 7,840,700 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Potti, Sunil, Raghavan, Kollivakkam, Anthias, Tefcros, Singhal, Pravin
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips; Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Golabbakhsh; Ebrahim
• Application Number:
  US11/473,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20070011332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 709/238
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5012 determining service availability, e.g. which services are available at a certain point in time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• 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 45/56 Routing software
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/563 Software download or update
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0245 Filtering by information in the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 : Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 : Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols

Abstract

Custom or user-defined application program extensions may be loaded into a network infrastructure element such as a router or switch without restarting the device. For example, a network element has program extensibility logic operable for receiving one or more user program extensions that comprise logic operable to interface with the application program and perform message processing functions or protocol processing functions that are not in the application program; installing the one or more user program extensions without restarting the apparatus; receiving one or more packets representing an application message; selecting a particular one of the user program extensions based on a protocol associated with the message; loading the particular one of the user program extensions; executing business logic of the application program associated with the received message; and invoking a function of the particular one of the user program extensions in response to a call in the business logic.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of network interfaces that are coupled to a data network for receiving one or more packets therefrom and sending one or more packets thereto;

one or more processors;

a switching system coupled to the one or more processors and packet forwarding logic, wherein the switching system and packet forwarding logic are configured to receive packets on a first network interface, determine a second network interface on which to send the packets, and to send the packets on the second network interface;

a non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium having an application program stored thereon;

program extensibility logic which when executed by the one or more processors is operable to cause;

receiving one or more user software application program extensions,

using the one or more user software application program extensions, changing a runtime behavior of the packet forwarding logic during a normal processing of the switching system,

wherein the user software application program extensions comprise logic operable to interface with the application program and perform any of message processing functions and protocol processing functions that are not in the application program, and which emit and consume messages exchanged at a Layer Five or higher of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model;

installing the one or more user software application program extensions without restarting the apparatus;

receiving one or more packets representing an application message;

selecting a particular one of the user software application program extensions based on a protocol associated with the message;

loading the particular one of the user software application program extensions;

executing business logic of the application program associated with the received message;

invoking a function of the particular one of the user software application program extensions in response to a call in the business logic.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application message comprises one or more transport protocol headers, and wherein the program extensibility logic comprises logic which when executed by the one or more processors is operable to select and invoke the particular one of the user program extensions based on values located in the one or more transport protocol headers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application message comprises one or more application message headers, and wherein the program extensibility logic comprises logic which when executed by the one or more processors is operable to select and invoke the particular one of the user program extensions based on values located in the application message headers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more user program extensions comprise one or more extension functions, wherein the program extensibility logic comprises logic which when executed by the one or more processors is operable to select and invoke a particular extension function from among the plurality of extension functions based upon values in the application message.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more user program extensions comprise one or more protocol handling functions, wherein the program extensibility logic comprises logic which when executed by the one or more processors is operable to select and invoke one of the protocol handling functions from among the plurality of protocol handling functions based upon values in the application message.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising any of a packet data router and a packet data switch in a packet-switched network.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the program extensibility logic comprises logic which when executed by the one or more processors is operable to:

identify in the application message any of a transport protocol and an application protocol;

select a particular user-defined custom protocol handler, from among a plurality of stored user-defined protocol handlers, based upon the identified transport protocol;

use the particular user-defined custom protocol handler to transform the application message into a modified outbound application message.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the program extensibility logic comprises logic which when executed by the one or more processors is operable to:

identify a custom user function based on values in any of the transport protocol of the message, application protocol of the message, and message body;

load and invoke the user defined extension function based on the identified custom user function.

9. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of network interfaces that are coupled to a data network for receiving one or more packets therefrom and sending one or more packets thereto;

one or more processors;

a switching system coupled to the one or more processors and packet forwarding logic, wherein the switching system and packet forwarding logic are configured to receive packets on a first network interface, determine a second network interface on which to send the packets, and to send the packets on the second network interface;

a non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform;

receiving one or more user software application program extensions, using the one or more user software application program extensions, changing a a runtime behavior of the packet forwarding logic during a normal processing of the switching system,

wherein the user software application program extensions comprise logic operable to interface with the application program and perform any of message processing functions and protocol processing functions that are not in the application program;

installing the one or more user software application program extensions without restarting the apparatus;

receiving one or more packets representing an application message;

selecting a particular one of the user software application program extensions based on a protocol associated with the message;

loading the particular one of the user software application program extensions;

executing business logic of the application program associated with the received message;

means for invoking a function of the particular one of the user software application program extensions in response to a call in the business logic.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the application message comprises one or more transport protocol headers, wherein the computer-readable medium further stores instructions, which cause:

selecting and invoking the particular one of the user program extensions based on values located in the one or more transport protocol headers.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the application message comprises one or more application message headers, wherein the computer-readable medium further stores instructions, which cause:

selecting and invoking the particular one of the user program extensions based on values located in the application message headers.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more user program extensions comprise one or more extension functions, wherein the computer-readable medium further stores instructions, which cause:

selecting and invoking a particular extension function from among the plurality of extension functions based upon values in the application message.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more user program extensions comprise one or more protocol handling functions, wherein the computer-readable medium further stores instructions, which cause:

selecting and invoking one of the protocol handling functions from among the plurality of protocol handling functions based upon values in the application message.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable medium further stores instructions, which cause:

identifying in the application message any of a transport protocol and an application protocol;

selecting a particular user-defined custom protocol handler, from among a plurality of stored user-defined protocol handlers, based upon the identified transport protocol;

using the particular user-defined custom protocol handler to transform the application message into a modified outbound application message.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable medium further stores instructions, which cause:

identifying a custom user function based on values in any of the transport protocol of the message, application protocol of the message, and message body;

loading and invoking the user defined extension function based on the identified custom user function.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising any of a packet data router and a packet data switch in a packet-switched network.

17. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving one or more user software application program extensions in a network infrastructure device that comprises an application program,

using the one or more user software application program extensions, changing a runtime behavior of a packet forwarding logic during a normal processing of the network infrastructure device,

wherein the user software application program extensions comprise logic operable to interface with the application program and perform any of message processing functions and protocol processing functions that are not in the application program;

installing the one or more user software application program extensions without restarting the device;

receiving one or more packets representing an application message;

selecting a particular one of the user software application program extensions based on a protocol associated with the message;

loading the particular one of the user software application program extensions;

executing business logic of the application program associated with the received message;

invoking a function of the particular one of the user software application program extensions in response to a call in the business logic.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the application message comprises one or more transport protocol headers, and further comprising selecting and invoking the particular one of the user program extensions based on values located in the one or more transport protocol headers.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the application message comprises one or more application message headers, and further comprising selecting and invoking the particular one of the user program extensions based on values located in the application message headers.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more user program extensions comprise one or more extension functions, and further comprising selecting and invoking a particular extension function from among the plurality of extension functions based upon values in the application message.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more user program extensions comprise one or more protocol handling functions, and further comprising selecting and invoking one of the protocol handling functions from among the plurality of protocol handling functions based upon values in the application message.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying in the application message any of a transport protocol and an application protocol;

selecting a particular user-defined custom protocol handler, from among a plurality of stored user-defined protocol handlers, based upon the identified transport protocol;

using the particular user-defined custom protocol handler to transform the application message into a modified outbound application message.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying a custom user function based on values in any of the transport protocol of the message, application protocol of the message, and message body;

loading and invoking the user defined extension function based on the identified custom user function.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium encoded with program extensibility logic which when executed by one or more processors is operable to cause:

receiving one or more user software application program extensions,

using the one or more user software application program extensions, changing a runtime behavior of a packet forwarding logic during a normal processing of the program extensibility logic of a network device,

wherein the user software application program extensions comprise logic operable to interface with an application program of a computer system and perform any of message processing functions and protocol processing functions that are not in the application program;

installing the one or more user software application program extensions without restarting the computer system;

receiving one or more packets representing an application message;

selecting a particular one of the user software application program extensions based on a protocol associated with the message;

loading the particular one of the user software application program extensions;

executing business logic of the application program associated with the received message;

invoking a function of the particular one of the user software application program extensions in response to a call in the business logic.