Programmable packet data processing system
AssigneeMetaswitch Networks Ltd.
InventorsMichael Jeffrey Evans, Christian Dominic Lund
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to software-defined networks, and particularly, but not exclusively to programmable packet data processing systems, methods and computer readable products for use therein.
Claims20
A system comprising a processor and a memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
- loading a packet processing component into the memory, the packet processing component comprising a plurality of packet processing nodes arranged in a graph structure, the plurality of packet processing nodes configured to process and forward packets of a communications network in accordance with the graph structure;
- while the packet processing component is executing to process and forward packets of the communications network in accordance with the graph structure, receiving, via an application programming interface, a request to configure the packet processing component to perform a predefined packet processing function according to a predefined packet processing resource type of the graph structure;
- and
- in response to the request, reconfiguring, during run time in a data plane of the communications network, one or more packet processing nodes in the graph structure to perform the predefined packet processing function based on the predefined packet processing resource type;
- wherein the reconfigured packet processing nodes comprise one or more match-action classifiers which are arranged to apply one or more match-action rules in order to process a packet of the communications network, and wherein the reconfiguring comprises modifying one of the match-action rules or adding a match-action rule.
A method for reconfiguring a packet data processing system during run time in a communications network, the packet data processing system comprising a packet processing component and a graph configuration component executing in a data plane of the communications network, the method comprising:
- loading, by the packet data processing system, the packet processing component into a memory of the packet data processing system, the packet processing component comprising a plurality of packet processing nodes arranged in a graph structure, the plurality of packet processing nodes configured to process and forward packets of the communications network in accordance with the graph structure;
- while the packet processing component is executing to process and forward packets of the communications network in accordance with the graph structure, receiving, by the graph configuration component via an application programming interface, a request to configure the packet processing component to perform a predefined packet processing function according to a predefined packet processing resource type of the graph structure;
- and
- in response to the request, reconfiguring, during run time by the graph configuration component in the data plane, one or more packet processing nodes in the graph structure to perform the predefined packet processing function based on the predefined packet processing resource type;
- wherein the reconfigured packet processing nodes comprise one or more match-action classifiers which are arranged to apply one or more match-action rules in order to process a packet of the communications network, and wherein the reconfiguring comprises modifying one of the match-action rules or adding a match-action rule.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to:
- load a packet processing component comprising a plurality of packet processing nodes arranged in a graph structure, the plurality of packet processing nodes configured to process and forward packets of a communications network in accordance with the graph structure;
- receiving, via an application programming interface, a request to configure the packet processing component to perform a predefined packet processing function according to a predefined packet processing resource type of the graph structure;
- and
- in response to the request, reconfiguring, during run time in a data plane of the communications network, one or more packet processing nodes in the graph structure to perform the predefined packet processing function based on the predefined packet processing resource type;
- wherein the reconfigured packet processing nodes comprise one or more match-action classifiers which are arranged to apply one or more match-action rules in order to process a packet of the communications network, and wherein the reconfiguring comprises modifying one of the match-action rules or adding a match-action rule.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.