Packet flow classification

One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

• receive a set of data packets;
• determine whether the set of received data packets meets a threshold number of data packets;
• and
• perform, in response to a determination that the set of received data packets meets the threshold number of data packets:
• packet flow classification on received data packets, the packet flow classification comprising a plurality of sequential classification stages, wherein fetch classification operations and non-fetch classification operations are performed in each classification stage and each classification stage is defined by a corresponding memory access boundary, and wherein to perform the packet flow classification comprises to:
• prefetch a key of a first received data packet of a pair based on a set of packet fields of the first received data packet for use during a subsequent stage of packet flow classification while a non-fetch classification operation is performed on another received data packet of the same pair in the same classification stage of a pipeline to enable out of order processing of the data packets in the pair;
• determine a hash table bucket signature as a function of a key signature of the prefetched key;
• prefetch the corresponding hash table bucket based on the determined hash table bucket signature, for use during another subsequent classification stage while a non-fetch classification operation is performed on another received data packet, the hash table bucket being prefetched from a plurality of hash table buckets of a hash table, and each hash table bucket mapping a plurality of keys to corresponding traffic flows as key-value pairs;
• and
• prefetch a traffic flow to be applied to the first received data packet based on the prefetched hash table bucket and the prefetched key;
• and
• perform, in response to a determination that the set of received data packets does not meet the threshold number of data packets, an alternative packet flow classification process.

A method for classifying data packet flow by a computing device, the method comprising:

• receiving a set of data packets;
• determining whether the set of received data packets meets a threshold number of data packets;
• performing, in response to a determination that the set of received data packets meets the threshold number of data packets:
• packet flow classification on received data packets, the packet flow classification comprising a plurality of sequential classification stages, wherein fetch classification operations and non-fetch classification operations are performed in each classification stage and each classification stage is defined by a corresponding memory access boundary, and wherein performing the packet flow classification comprises:
• prefetching, by the computing device, a key of a first received data packet of a pair based on a set of packet fields of the first received data packet for use during a subsequent stage of packet flow classification while a non-fetch classification operation is performed on another received data packet of the same pair in the same classification stage of a pipeline to enable out of order processing of the data packets in the pair;
• determining, by the computing device, a hash table bucket signature as a function of a key signature of the prefetched key;
• prefetching, by the computing device, the corresponding hash table bucket based the determined hash table bucket signature, for use during another subsequent classification stage while a non-fetch classification operation is performed on another received data packet, the hash table bucket being prefetched from a plurality of hash table buckets of a hash table, and each hash table bucket mapping a plurality of keys to corresponding traffic flows as key-value pairs;
• and
• prefetching, by the computing device, a traffic flow to be applied to the first received data packet based on the prefetched hash table bucket and the prefetched key;
• and
• performing, in response to a determination that the set of received data packets does not meet the threshold number of data packets, an alternative packet flow classification process.