Network apparatus for switching based on content of application data

• US 7,366,781 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Abjanic, John B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phuoc H.
• Application Number:
  US10/750,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20040205597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/224, 709/227, 715/513
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/28 in relation to timing considerations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/31 by tagging of packets, e.g. using discard eligibility [DE] bits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/33 using forward notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/252 Store and forward routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0471 applying encryption by an intermediary, e.g. receiving clear information at the intermediary and encrypting the received information at the intermediary before forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/562 Brokering proxy services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A network apparatus is provided between a network and a plurality of processing nodes or servers. The network apparatus includes a content based message director (e.g., XML director) to route or direct messages received from the network to one of the processing nodes based upon the application data, including business transaction information.

Claims

1. A network apparatus comprising:

an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) checker to determine if a received message includes XML information;

an XML parser coupled to an XML checker to parse XML transaction information in the message if the XML checker determines that the message includes XML information;

a content based switching decision logic coupled to the XML parser to receive one or more configuration patterns, the content based switching decision logic to make a switching decision for the received message based upon a comparison of the one or more configuration patterns to the XML transaction information if the XML checker determines that the message includes XML information; and

the network apparatus adapted to switch the message to an output port or to a selected processing node based upon business transaction information provided in XML in the message when the message includes XML information.

2. The network apparatus of claim 1 wherein the network apparatus is adapted to switch or forward the message substantially without XML processing if the message does not include XML information.

3. The network apparatus of claim 1 wherein the network apparatus comprises a traffic manager.

4. The network apparatus of claim 1 wherein the network apparatus comprises a network processor.

5. A method comprising:

receiving a message;

determining if the received message includes eXtensible Markup Language (XML) information;

using an XML parser coupled to an XML checker to parse XML transaction information in the message if the XML checker determines that the message includes XML information;

make a switching decision using a content based switching decision logic coupled to the XML parser to receive one or more configuration patterns, the content based switching decision logic to make a switching decision for the received message based upon a comparison of the one or more configuration patterns to the XML transaction information if the XML checker determines that the message includes XML information; and

switching the message to an output port or to a selected processing node based upon business transaction information provided in XML in the message if the message includes XML information.

6. The method of claim 5 and further comprising:

otherwise forwarding the message substantially without XML processing if the message does not include XML information.

7. The method of claim 5 and further comprising performing one of the following on the message if there is no match between the XML business transaction information and the configuration pattern:

directing the message to a default location; and

blocking or not forwarding the message.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the configuration pattern indicates one or more of the following:

a source or From entity of the message;

a destination or To entity of the message;

a type of transaction; and

a purchase amount.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the determining if the received message includes XML information comprises performing one of the following:

detecting a certain filename or type of filename in the message;

detecting a certain type of filename extension in the message;

examining header information in the message; and

examining one or more tags in the message.