Dynamic, condition-based packet redirection

• US 8,842,669 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Singh, Sumeet, Sambi, Muninder Singh
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Chuong T
• Application Number:
  US13/615,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20130003741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/392, 370352-353, 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/123 Evaluation of link metrics techniques for monitoring network metrics H04L43/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2475 for supporting traffic characterised by the type of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2483 involving identification of individual flows

Abstract

In one embodiment, at a packet-forwarding engine for receiving packet flows and conditionally routing packets in the packet flows to one or more applications, a method includes receiving from a particular one of the applications a request that requests the packet-forwarding engine not to route the particular one of the packet flows to the particular one of the applications and identifies one or more conditions for routing particular ones of the packets in the particular one of the packet flows to the particular one of the applications. The method further includes, receiving a particular packet in the particular one of the packet flows, determining whether one or more of the conditions for routing the particular packet to the particular one of the applications are met, and routing or not routing the particular packet to the particular one of the applications based on the determination.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a packet-forwarding engine, a request from an application, the request requesting the packet-forwarding engine to route a packet flow to the application and identifying one or more conditions for determining whether to route or not route particular ones of the packets in the packet flow to the application, wherein the one of the conditions specify that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are not to be routed to the applications after a predetermined time interval has lapsed;

at the packet-forwarding engine, receiving a particular packet in the packet flow;

at the packet-forwarding engine, determining whether the one or more of the conditions for not routing the particular packet to the application are met;

at the packet-forwarding engine, routing or not routing the particular packet to the application based on the determination; and

updating one or more metrics based on the particular packet, wherein;

the one or more metrics tracking an actual sequencing of packets in the packet flow received at the packet-forwarding engine; and

the one of the conditions specify that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are to be routed to the application when the actual sequencing differs from a predetermined sequencing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

one of the metrics tracks a number of packets in the packet flow routed to the application; and

one of the conditions specifies that packets in the packet flow are not to be routed to the application when the number exceeds a predetermined value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

one of the metrics tracks a number of bits in the packets in the packet flow routed to the application; and

one of the conditions specifies that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are not to be routed to the application when the number exceeds a predetermined value.

4. A method comprising:

receiving, at a packet-forwarding engine, a request from an application, the request requesting the packet-forwarding engine not to route a packet flow to the application and identifying one or more conditions for routing particular ones of the packets in the packet flow to the application, wherein the one of the conditions specify that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are to be routed to the application after a predetermined time interval has lapsed;

at the packet-forwarding engine, receiving a particular packet in the packet flow;

at the packet-forwarding engine, determining whether the one or more of the conditions for routing the particular packet to the application are met;

at the packet-forwarding engine, routing or not routing the particular packet to the application based on the determination; and

updating one or more metrics based on the particular packet, wherein;

the one or more metrics tracking an actual sequencing of packets in the packet flow received at the packet-forwarding engine; and

the one of the conditions specify that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are to be routed to the application when the actual sequencing differs from a predetermined sequencing.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

one of the metrics tracks a number of packets in the packet flow received at the packet-forwarding engine; and

one of the conditions specifies that packets in the packet flows are to be routed to the application when the number exceeds a predetermined value.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

one of the metrics tracks a number of packets in the particular packet flow received at the packet-forwarding engine; and

one of the conditions specifies that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are to be routed to the application when the number equals one or more predetermined values.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein one of the conditions specifies that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are to be routed to the application when the packets individually or collectively comprise an abnormal combination of one or more Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) flags.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein one of the conditions specifies that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are to be routed to the application when the packets individually or collectively comprise a particular Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) flag.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein one of the conditions specifies that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are to be routed to the application when a change that exceeds a predetermined value occurs in a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) window size in the packet flow.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein one of the conditions specifies that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are to be routed to the application when a time interval between packets in the packet flow exceeds a predetermined value.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein one of the conditions specifies that the request not to route the packet flow to the application is to be terminated if a predetermined event occurs.

12. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoding software that is operable when executed to:

receive from an application a request to route a packet flow to the application, wherein the request also identifies one or more conditions for determining whether to route or not route particular ones of the packets in the packet flow to the application, wherein the one or more conditions specify that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are not to be routed to the application after a predetermined time interval has lapsed;

receive a particular packet in the packet flow;

determine whether one or more of the conditions for not routing the particular packet to the application are met;

route or not route the particular packet to the application based on the determination; and

updating one or more metrics based on the particular packet, wherein;

the one or more metrics tracking an actual sequencing of packets in the packet flow received at the packet-forwarding engine; and

the one of the conditions specify that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are to be routed to the application when the actual sequencing differs from a predetermined sequencing.

13. The media of claim 12, further comprising software that is operable when executed to update one or more metrics based on the particular packet.

14. The media of claim 13, wherein:

one of the metrics tracks a number of packets in the packet flow routed to the application; and

one of the conditions specifies that packets in the packet flow are not to be routed to the application when the number exceeds a predetermined value.

15. The media of claim 13, wherein:

one of the metrics tracks a number of bits in the packets in the packet flow routed to the application; and

one of the conditions specifies that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are not to be routed to the application when the number exceeds a predetermined value.

16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

receive from an application a request not to route a packet flow to the application, wherein the request also identifies one or more conditions for routing particular ones of the packets in the packet flow to the applications, wherein the one or more conditions specify that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are to be routed to the application after a predetermined time interval has lapsed;

receive a particular packet in the packet flow;

determine whether one or more of the conditions for routing the particular packet to the application are met;

route or not route the particular packet to the application based on the determination; and

update one or more metrics based on the particular packet, wherein;

the one or more metrics tracking an actual sequencing of packets in the packet flow received at the packet-forwarding engine; and

the one of the conditions specify that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are to be routed to the application when the actual sequencing differs from a predetermined sequencing.

17. The media of claim 16, wherein the software is further operable when executed to update one or more metrics based on the particular packet.

18. The media of claim 17, wherein:

one of the metrics tracks a number of packets in the packet flow received at the packet-forwarding engine; and

one of the conditions specifies that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are to be routed to the application when the number exceeds a predetermined value.

19. The media of claim 17, wherein:

one of the metrics tracks a number of packets in the packet flow received at the packet-forwarding engine; and

one of the conditions specifies that particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are to be routed to the application when the number equals one of one or more predetermined values.

20. The media of claim 16, wherein one of the conditions specifies that particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are to be routed to the application when the particular ones of the packets individually or collectively comprise an abnormal combination of one or more Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) flags.

21. The media of claim 16, wherein one of the conditions specifies that particular ones of the packets in the particular one of the packet flows are to be routed to the particular one of the applications when the particular ones of the packets individually or collectively comprise a particular Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) flag.

22. The media of claim 16, wherein one of the conditions specifies that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are to be routed to the application when a change that exceeds a predetermined value occurs in a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) window size in the packet flow.

23. The media of claim 16, wherein one of the conditions specifies that the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow are to be routed to the application when a time interval between the particular ones of the packets in the packet flow exceeds a predetermined value.

24. The media of claim 16, wherein one of the conditions specifies that the request not to route the packet flow to the application is to be terminated if a predetermined event occurs.