Identification of QoS classification based on packet attributes

A system for identifying a quality of service (QoS) classification of a packet in a network processor, the system comprising:

• a network processor;
• a table that may be indexed into by one or more priority values, each having a maximum of N values, to retrieve a QoS classification having a maximum of M values, wherein M less than N;
• a receiving unit configured for receiving a stream of data packets;
• and
• a program running on the network processor that is configured to:
• extract at least two different priority indicator values of a plurality of priority indicator values from a data packet in the stream of data packets;
• convert the at least two different priority indicator values into a single resultant priority value, by:
• applying the selection pattern to the at least two different priority indicator values to define a first set of bits of the at least two priority indicator values;
• discarding the first set of bits;
• and
• in response to discarding the first set of bits of the at least two different priority indicator values, concatenating a remaining set of bits of the at least two different priority indicator values into the single resultant priority value;
• utilize the single resultant priority value to index into the table;
• in response to utilizing the single resultant priority value to index into the table, extract an entry from the table that corresponds to the single resultant priority value as the QoS classification of the data packet;
• and
• utilize the QoS classification of the data packet for subsequent processing of the data packet.

A computer program product for identifying a quality of service (QoS) classification of a packet in a network processor, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code encoded therein that when executed performs a method comprising:

• providing a table that may be indexed into by one or more priority values, each having a maximum of N values, to retrieve a QoS classification having a maximum of M values, wherein M less than N;
• receiving a data packet in a stream of data packets, wherein the data packet comprises a plurality of priority indicator values;
• extracting at least two different priority indicator values of the plurality of priority indicator values from the data packet;
• converting the at least two different priority indicator values into a single resultant priority value by:
• applying the selection pattern to the at least two different priority indicator values to define a first set of bits of the at least two priority indicator values;
• discarding the first set of bits;
• and
• in response to discarding the first set of bits of the at least two different priority indicator values, concatenating a remaining set of bits of the at least two different priority indicator values into the single resultant priority value;
• utilizing the single resultant priority value to index into the table;
• in response to utilizing the single resultant priority value to index into the table, extracting an entry from the table that corresponds to the single resultant priority value as a QoS classification of the data packet;
• and
• utilizing the QoS classification of the data packet for subsequent processing of the data packet.