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US 7,443,796 B1Granted
Distributed, rule based packet redirection
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsMark Albert, Louis F. Menditto, Shannon Nix, Pranav Tiwari, Tzu-Ming Tsang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A forwarding agent is implemented on a router. The forwarding agent receives instructions from a service manager for redirecting packets that match the instructions. A packet is received that matches the instructions and the packet is redirected according to the instructions.
Claims55
A method, comprising:
- receiving instructions from a service manager for redirecting one or more packets that match the instructions;
- receiving a selected one or more of the packets that match the instructions;
- and
- redirecting the selected one or more packets according to the instructions, wherein the selected one or more packets are redirected using a network address translation operation, which is signaled through an affinity key included in the instructions, whereby the affinity key includes a dispatch flag indicating where a packet should be forwarded, not directed, without referencing a destination IP address of the packet being forwarded, the affinity key also including an information flag indicating that statistics for packets related to the affinity key should be gathered.
1 more element
A network device, comprising:
- a service manager operable to generate instructions for redirecting one or more packets;
- and
- a forwarding agent operable to receive the instructions, wherein the forwarding agent is further operable to receive a selected one or more of the packets that match the instructions and to redirect the selected one or more packets according to the instructions, and wherein the selected one or more packets are redirected using a network address translation operation, which is signaled through an affinity key included in the instructions, whereby the affinity key includes a dispatch flag indicating where a packet should be forwarded, not directed, without referencing a destination IP address of the packet being forwarded, the affinity key also including an information flag indicating that statistics for packets related to the affinity key should be gathered.
A system, comprising:
- means for receiving instructions from a service manager for redirecting one or more packets that match the instructions;
- means for receiving a selected one or more of the packets that match the instructions;
- and
- means for redirecting the selected one or more packets according to the instructions, wherein the selected one or more packets are redirected using a network address translation operation, which is signaled through an affinity key included in the instructions, whereby the affinity key includes a dispatch flag indicating where a packet should be forwarded, not directed, without referencing a destination IP address of the packet being forwarded, the affinity key also including an information flag indicating that statistics for packets related to the affinity key should be gathered.
1 more element
Software for processing information in a network environment, the software being embodied in a computer readable medium such that when executed is operable to:
- receive instructions from a service manager for redirecting one or more packets that match the instructions;
- receive a selected one or more of the packets that match the instructions;
- and
- redirect the selected one or more packets according to the instructions, wherein the selected one or more packets are redirected using a network address translation operation, which is signaled through an affinity key included in the instructions, whereby the affinity key includes a dispatch flag indicating where a packet should be forwarded, not directed, without referencing a destination IP address of the packet being forwarded, the affinity key also including an information flag indicating that statistics for packets related to the affinity key should be gathered.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.