Applying quality of service to application messages in network elements

A data processing apparatus, comprising:

• a plurality of network interfaces that are coupled to a data network for receiving one or more packets therefrom and sending one or more packets thereto;
• one or more processors;
• a switching system coupled to the one or more processors and packet forwarding logic, wherein the switching system and packet forwarding logic are configured to receive packets on a first network interface, determine a second network interface on which to send the packets, and to send the packets on the second network interface;
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recorded with one or more message classification rules and a mapping of message classification values to network-level QoS values, wherein each of the one or more message classification rules specifies one or more application-level attributes and one of the message classification values;
• means for intercepting an application-layer message encapsulated in a collective payload portion of two or more data packets according to an application-layer protocol;
• wherein the application-layer message communicates application-level information between applications, and wherein the application-level information comprises application-level attributes that are contained in a body of the application-layer message;
• means for extracting and assembling the application-layer message from the collective payload portion based at least in part on the application-layer protocol;
• means for matching one or more application-level attributes from the body of the extracted and assembled application-layer message to the one or more message classification rules;
• means for determining a message classification value of the extracted and assembled application-layer message based at least in part on the matching;
• means for selecting one of the network-level QoS values using the mapping and based at least in part on the determined message classification value;
• means for marking a network-level header of at least one of the two or more data packets based at least in part on the selected network-level QoS value.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recorded with one or more message classification rules and a mapping of message classification values to network-level QoS values, wherein each of the one or more message classification rules specifies one or more application-level attributes and one of the message classification values, and recorded with application QoS logic which when executed by one or more processors is operable to cause:

• intercepting an application-layer message encapsulated in a collective payload portion of two or more data packets according to an application-layer protocol, wherein the application-layer message is received at a network infrastructure element comprising a plurality of network interfaces that are coupled to a data network for receiving one or more packets therefrom and sending one or more packets thereto, the one or more processors, and a switching system coupled to the one or more processors and packet forwarding logic, wherein the switching system and packet forwarding logic are configured to receive packets on a first network interface, determine a second network interface on which to send the packets, and to send the packets on the second network interface;
• wherein the application-layer message communicates application-level information between applications, and wherein the application-level information comprises application-level attributes that are contained in a body of the application-layer message;
• extracting and assembling the application-layer message from the collective payload portion based at least in part on the application-layer protocol;
• matching one or more application-level attributes from the body of the extracted and assembled application-layer message to the one or more message classification rules;
• determining a message classification value of the extracted and assembled application-layer message based at least in part on the matching;
• selecting one of the network-level QoS values using the mapping and based at least in part on the determined message classification value;
• marking a network-level header of the at least one of the two or more data packets using the selected network-level QoS value.

A method, comprising:

• creating and storing one or more message classification rules and a mapping of message classification values to network-level QoS values, wherein each of the one or more message classification rules specifies one or more application-level attributes and one of the message classification values;
• intercepting an application-layer message encapsulated in a collective payload portion of two or more data packets according to an application-layer protocol, wherein the application-layer message is received at a network infrastructure element comprising a plurality of network interfaces that are coupled to a data network for receiving one or more packets therefrom and sending one or more packets thereto, the one or more processors, and a switching system coupled to the one or more processors and packet forwarding logic, wherein the switching system and packet forwarding logic are configured to receive packets on a first network interface, determine a second network interface on which to send the packets, and to send the packets on the second network interface;
• wherein the application-layer message communicates application-level information between applications, and wherein the application-level information comprises application-level attributes that are contained in a body of the application-layer message;
• extracting and assembling the application-layer message from the collective payload portion based at least in part on the application protocol;
• matching one or more application-level attributes from the body of the extracted and assembled application-layer message to the one or more message classification rules;
• determining a message classification value of the extracted and assembled application-layer message based at least in part on the matching;
• selecting one of the network-level QoS values using the mapping and based at least in part on the determined message classification value;
• marking a network-level header of the at least one of the two or more data packets based at least in part on the selected network-level QoS value;
• wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.