Configuration of a network visibility system
First Claim
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1. A method performed in a network visibility system comprising a packet router and a router controller, said method comprising:
- receiving a first sequence of packets;
determining, by said packet router, using a plurality of rules formed based on IP addresses from a second sequence of packets, a specific one of a plurality of output ports on which to forward each of said first sequence of packets, wherein a corresponding analytic server is coupled to process any packets received on a corresponding output port of the plurality of output ports, and wherein the plurality of rules formed by said router controller comprises;
a first set of rules, with each rule designed to match packets that are not GPRS Tunneling Protocol (non-GTP) packets, and to either drop matching non-GTP packets or to forward the matching non-GTP packets to a specified one of said output ports, anda second set of rules, with each rule designed to match GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) packets, and to either drop matching GTP packets or to forward the matching GTP packets for further processing within said packet router;
examining the second sequence of packets received before said first sequence of packets, to discover one or more IP addresses present in said second sequence of packets, wherein one or more of said plurality of rules are formed based on said one or more IP addresses; and
forwarding each of said first sequence of packets on the corresponding determined output port for processing by the corresponding analytic server.
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Abstract
A network visibility system provided according to an aspect of the present disclosure forms rules for routing of packets to appropriate analytic server, based on IP addresses discovered while processing packets. Due to such discovery and forming of rules based on discovery, manual configuration of the network visibility system can be avoided. In an embodiment, the network visibility system comprises a packet router and a router controller. The router controller receives the examined packets from the packet router and configures the packet router with the formed rules.
330 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method performed in a network visibility system comprising a packet router and a router controller, said method comprising:
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receiving a first sequence of packets; determining, by said packet router, using a plurality of rules formed based on IP addresses from a second sequence of packets, a specific one of a plurality of output ports on which to forward each of said first sequence of packets, wherein a corresponding analytic server is coupled to process any packets received on a corresponding output port of the plurality of output ports, and wherein the plurality of rules formed by said router controller comprises; a first set of rules, with each rule designed to match packets that are not GPRS Tunneling Protocol (non-GTP) packets, and to either drop matching non-GTP packets or to forward the matching non-GTP packets to a specified one of said output ports, and a second set of rules, with each rule designed to match GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) packets, and to either drop matching GTP packets or to forward the matching GTP packets for further processing within said packet router; examining the second sequence of packets received before said first sequence of packets, to discover one or more IP addresses present in said second sequence of packets, wherein one or more of said plurality of rules are formed based on said one or more IP addresses; and forwarding each of said first sequence of packets on the corresponding determined output port for processing by the corresponding analytic server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A router controller to configure a packet router, said router controller comprising:
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a memory to store instructions; a processing unit to retrieve and execute said instructions, wherein execution of said instructions causes said router controller to perform the actions of; examining a first sequence of packets to discover one or more of a plurality of IP addresses contained in said first sequence of packets; forming one or more of a plurality of rules based on said plurality of IP addresses wherein the plurality of rules comprises; a first set of rules, with each rule designed to match packets that are not GPRS Tunneling Protocol (non-GTP) packets, and to either drop matching non-GTP packets or to forward the matching non-GTP packets to a specified output port, and a second set of rules, with each rule designed to match GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) packets, and to either drop matching GTP packets or to forward the matching GTP packets for further processing within said packet router; forwarding said plurality of rules to said packet router to cause said packet router to be configured with said plurality of rules formed based on IP addresses from the first sequence of packets, wherein said packet router thereafter forwards each of a second sequence of packets to respective ones of said plurality of analytic servers according to said plurality of rules. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for causing a router controller to configure a packet router, wherein execution of said one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors contained in said router controller causes said router controller to perform the actions of:
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examining a first sequence of packets to discover one or more of a plurality of IP addresses contained in said first sequence of packets; forming one or more of a plurality of rules based on said plurality of IP addresses wherein the plurality of rules comprises; a first set of rules, with each rule designed to match packets that are not GPRS Tunneling Protocol (non-GTP), and to either drop matching non-GPRS packets or to forward the matching non-GPRS packets to a specified output port, and a second set of rules, with each rule designed to match GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) packets, and to either drop matching GTP packets or to forward the matching GTP packets for further processing within said packet router; and forwarding said plurality of rules to said packet router to cause said packet router to be configured with said plurality of rules formed based on IP addresses received from the first sequence of packets, wherein said packet router thereafter forwards each of a second sequence of packets to respective ones of said plurality of analytic servers according to said plurality of rules. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification