Layer-2 packet return in proxy-router communication protocol environments
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- maintaining a data structure comprising one or more entries, each entry comprising a link layer address of a redirecting router corresponding to an established proxy-router association of one or more established proxy-router associations for redirection of packets;
associating, at a link layer process, redirected packets received as arriving from redirecting routers identified in the data structure, wherein the redirected packets each comprise a link layer header including a source link layer address, and wherein associating redirected packets, for one or more redirected packets, comprises;
accessing, at the link layer process, the data structure using the source link layer address of a packet to identify a matching entry in the data structure; and
if the data structure includes a matching entry, marking the packet as a router-redirected packet and associating the packet with the matching entry; and
using, at a link layer process, the association to determine the link layer address information in the data structure to construct link layer headers for returning the redirected packets to the redirecting router by;
receiving, at the link layer process, a redirected packet returned from a higher layer process;
accessing the data structure to identify an entry associated with the packet; and
constructing a destination link layer address for the packet based on address information of the entry of the data structure associated with the packet.
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Abstract
A Layer 2 packet return mechanism in a proxy, such as a web cache, operatively associated with a redirecting router. In a particular embodiment, the present invention provides a Layer 2 packet return mechanism in a Web Cache Communication Protocol (WCCP) network environment. In one embodiment, the present invention provides an efficient mechanism allowing a proxy or web cache to recognize WCCP redirected packets, forwarded using Layer 2 forwarding mechanisms, and subsequently to return unprocessed packets to the original forwarding WCCP router using a Layer 2 packet return mechanism.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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maintaining a data structure comprising one or more entries, each entry comprising a link layer address of a redirecting router corresponding to an established proxy-router association of one or more established proxy-router associations for redirection of packets; associating, at a link layer process, redirected packets received as arriving from redirecting routers identified in the data structure, wherein the redirected packets each comprise a link layer header including a source link layer address, and wherein associating redirected packets, for one or more redirected packets, comprises; accessing, at the link layer process, the data structure using the source link layer address of a packet to identify a matching entry in the data structure; and if the data structure includes a matching entry, marking the packet as a router-redirected packet and associating the packet with the matching entry; and using, at a link layer process, the association to determine the link layer address information in the data structure to construct link layer headers for returning the redirected packets to the redirecting router by; receiving, at the link layer process, a redirected packet returned from a higher layer process; accessing the data structure to identify an entry associated with the packet; and constructing a destination link layer address for the packet based on address information of the entry of the data structure associated with the packet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus, comprising:
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one or more network interfaces, a memory; one or more processors; a proxy-router intercommunication module comprising computer-executable instructions stored on a computer readable medium, the instructions readable by the one or more processors, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the one or more processors to; establish proxy-router associations with one or more redirecting routers for redirection of packets; cause, responsive to a successful association with a redirecting router, an entry for the redirecting router to be added to a redirecting router table; a network communications protocol stack comprising a link layer module comprising computer-executable instructions stored on a computer readable medium, the instructions readable by the one or more processors, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the one or more processors to; access a source link layer address of a received packet stored in the memory; associate, responsive to finding an entry in the redirecting router table that matches the source link layer address, the received packet with the found entry; receive the redirected packet returned from a higher layer process; access the redirecting router table to identify an entry associated with the redirected packet; and construct a destination link layer address for the packet based on address information of the entry of the forwarding router table associated with the packet. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification