Hierarchical self-organizing classification processing in a network switch

A non-transitory machine-readable medium, having encoded thereon program code, wherein, when the program code is executed by a machine, the machine implements a method of processing data packets received by a network switch coupled to a network processor, the method comprising:

• determining, by the network switch, whether one or more associated rules for classifying and processing the received packet are stored in an internal classification database of the network switch;
• if one or more associated rules are stored in the internal classification database:
• updating statistics data of the network switch corresponding to each of the one or more associated rules;
• and
• classifying and processing, by the network switch, the received packet in accordance with the one or more associated rules;
• otherwise, if no associated rules are stored in the internal classification database:
• tagging, by the network switch, the received packet with metadata;
• forwarding, by the network switch, the packet to the network processor;
• determining, by the network processor, one or more associated rules for classifying and processing the forwarded packet in a classification database of the network processor;
• updating statistics data of the network processor corresponding to each of the one or more associated rules in the classification database of the network processor;
• classifying and processing, by the network processor, the forwarded packet in accordance with the one or more associated rules in the classification database of the network processor;
• and
• updating, by the network processor, the internal classification database of the network switch.

A system comprising:

• a network switch coupled to a network and a network processor;
• the network switch configured to:
• receive a packet from the network;
• determine whether one or more associated rules for classifying and processing the received packet are stored in an internal classification database of the network switch;
• if one or more associated rules are stored in the internal classification database:
• update statistics data of the network switch corresponding to each of the one or more associated rules;
• and
• classify and process the received packet in accordance with the one or more associated rules;
• otherwise, if no associated rules are stored in the internal classification database:
• tag the received packet with metadata;
• and
• forward the packet to the network processor;
• the network processor configured to:
• determine one or more associated rules for classifying and processing the forwarded packet in a classification database of the network processor;
• update statistics data of the network processor corresponding to each of the one or more associated rules in the classification database of the network processor;
• classify and process the forwarded packet in accordance with the one or more associated rules in the classification database of the network processor;
• wherein the network processor is configured to update the internal classification database of the network switch by:
• retrieving the statistics data of the network switch;
• determining, based on the statistics data of the network switch and the statistics data of the network processor, whether the internal classification database of the network switch should be updated and, if so:
• generating an updated database for the network switch;
• transferring the updated database to the network switch;
• and
• maintaining packet ordering based on the corresponding tagged metadata.