Programming a data network device using user defined scripts

• US 10,880,400 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2018
• Issued: 12/29/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A10 Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: A10 Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Jalan, Rajkumar, Sampat, Rishi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Sm A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siddiqi, Emad
• Application Number:
  US15/967,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20180248975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 709223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments for configuring a network device using user-defined scripts are disclosed. The systems and methods provide for a servicing node to receive a request for a network session between a client device and a server, receive a user defined class and a user defined object configuration from a node controller, and use the information to instruct an object virtual machine to generate at least one user defined object. The servicing node can then apply the at least one user defined object to a data packet of the network session, where the user defined object allows a user to configure the network device with user-defined instruction scripts.

Claims

1. A system for configuring a network device with user-defined instruction scripts, the system comprising:

a servicing node including a network device, the servicing node comprising;

a plurality of user defined objects stored on the servicing node to configure the servicing node to execute the user-defined instruction scripts; and

an object virtual machine that executes instructions enabled by at least one of the plurality of user defined objects while the servicing node processes a network session of a network traffic between a client device and a server; and

at least one hardware node controller that sends a user defined class and a user defined object configuration to the servicing node, the user defined class and the user defined object configuration being defined by a user of the network, the user defined class including the user-defined instruction scripts, the user-defined instruction scripts including one or more instructions and a description for generating at least one user defined object, the user-defined instruction scripts being provided by the user of the network device, the user defined object configuration including at least one configuration provided by the user of the network device for the at least one user defined object, the at least one configuration including a plurality of attributes;

wherein the servicing node is configured to, upon receiving the user defined class and the user defined object configuration, instruct the object virtual machine to generate the at least one user defined object;

wherein the object virtual machine is configured to;

generate the at least one user defined object based on the description included in the user defined class and based on the plurality of attributes of the at least one configuration included in the user defined object configuration, wherein the at least one user defined object includes one or more parameters to enable the one or more instructions to be executed by the object virtual machine for processing one or more network sessions, wherein the at least one user defined object further includes object variables, the object variables including network parameters associated with processing of the network traffic;

store the at least one user defined object on the servicing node to configure the servicing node to execute the user-defined instruction scripts;

determine if the at least one user defined object is applicable to a data packet of the network session;

apply a security policy to the data packet of the network session;

match the data packet of a network application with a list of permissible network applications;

apply the at least one user defined object to the data packet of the network session to process the data packet by applying the one or more instructions comprised in the at least one user defined object and defined by the user of the network device, wherein the user defined object allows the user to configure the network device with the user-defined instruction scripts; and

based on the processing of the data packet, updating, by the object virtual machine, one or more of the object variables stored in the at least one user defined object.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the servicing node further comprises the network application.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the servicing node applies the at least one user defined object in conjunction with the network application to process the network session.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user defined class includes a template for one or more instruction to create the at least one user defined object.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the servicing node applies the at least one user defined object after receiving the user defined object configuration and the user defined class, prior to the processing the network session.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the servicing node applies the at least one user defined object after receiving the user defined object configuration and the user defined class, while the network session is in progress.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of user defined objects is configured with a different IP address.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user defined class requires a license to create the at least one user defined object.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the object virtual machine provides object variables of the at least one user defined object to the at least one hardware node controller.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the object variables comprise accounting data and statistics data.

11. A method to configure a network device with user-defined instruction scripts, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a network session of a network traffic between a client device and a server;

receiving, by a servicing node, a user defined class and a user defined object configuration, the servicing node including the network device, the user defined class and the user defined object configuration being defined by a user of the network device, the user defined class including the user-defined instruction scripts, the user-defined instruction scripts including one or more instructions and a description for generating at least one user defined object, the user-defined instruction scripts being provided by the user of the network device, the user defined object configuration including at least one configuration provided by the user of the network device for the at least one user defined object, the at least one configuration including a plurality of attributes;

upon receiving the user defined class and the user defined object configuration, instructing, by the servicing node, an object virtual machine running on the servicing node to generate the at least one user defined object;

generating, by the object virtual machine, the at least one user defined object based on the description included in the user defined class and based on the plurality of attributes of the at least one configuration included in the user defined object configuration, wherein the at least one user defined object includes one or more parameters to enable the one or more instructions to be executed by the object virtual machine for processing one or more network sessions, wherein the at least one user defined object further includes object variables, the object variables including network parameters associated with processing of the network traffic;

storing the at least one user defined object on the servicing node to configure the servicing node to execute the user-defined instruction scripts;

determining if the at least one user defined object is applicable to a data packet of the network session;

applying a security policy to the data packet of the network session;

matching the data packet of a network application with a list of permissible network applications;

applying, by the object virtual machine, the at least one user defined object to the data packet of the network session to process the data packet by applying the one or more instructions comprised in the at least one user defined object and defined by the user of the network device, wherein the user defined object allows the user to configure the network device with the user-defined instruction scripts; and

based on the processing of the data packet, updating, by the object virtual machine, one or more of the object variables stored in the at least one user defined object.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the user defined class requires a license to create the at least one user defined object.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the object virtual machine provides object variables of the at least one user defined object to at least one hardware node controller.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the object variables comprise accounting data and statistics data.

15. A system for configuring a network device with user-defined instruction scripts, the system comprising:

a servicing node including a network device, the servicing node comprising;

a plurality of user defined objects stored on the servicing node to configure the servicing node to execute the user-defined instruction scripts; and

an object virtual machine that executes instructions enabled by at least one of the plurality of user defined objects while the servicing node processes a network session of a network traffic between a client device and a server; and

at least one hardware node controller that sends a user defined class and a user defined object configuration to the servicing node, the user defined class and the user defined object configuration being defined by a user of the network device, the user defined class including the user-defined instruction scripts, the user-defined instruction scripts including one or more instructions and a description for generating at least one user defined object, the user-defined instruction scripts being provided by the user of the network device, the user defined object configuration including at least one configuration provided by the user of the network device for the at least one user defined object, the at least one configuration including a plurality of attributes,

wherein the servicing node is configured to, upon receiving the user defined class and the user defined object configuration, instruct the object virtual machine to generate the at least one user defined object;

wherein the object virtual machine is configured to;

generate the at least one user defined object based on the description included in the user defined class and based on the plurality of attributes of the at least one configuration included in the user defined object configuration, wherein the at least one user defined object includes one or more parameters to enable the one or more instructions to be executed by the object virtual machine for processing one or more network sessions, wherein the at least one user defined object further includes object variables, the object variables including network parameters associated with processing of the network traffic;

store the at least one user defined object on the servicing node to configure the servicing node to execute the user-defined instruction scripts;

determine if the at least one user defined object is applicable to a data packet of the network session;

apply a security policy to the data packet of the network session;

match the data packet of a network application with a list of permissible network applications;

apply the at least one user defined object to the data packet of the network session while the network session is in progress to process the data packet by applying the one or more instructions comprised in the at least one user defined object and defined by the user of the network device, wherein the user defined object allows the user to configure the network device with the user-defined instruction scripts; and

based on the processing the data packet, updating, by the object virtual machine, one or more of the object variables stored in the at least one user defined object.