Merging filter rules to reduce forwarding path lookup cycles
US8332927B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 10, 2011 |
| Grant date | Dec 11, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 10, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L63/02
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The invention is directed to techniques for managing filter rules applied to network traffic at a network device. A network device merges multiple filter rules associated with separate filter matching modules to reduce lookup cycles in a forwarding path of the network device. The network device may thus simultaneously apply multiple filter rules in a reduced number of clock cycles. A network device comprises an interface that receives packets from a network, a filter memory that stores a plurality of filters, and a plurality of filter matching modules that apply the filters to packets in a forwarding path of the network device. A filter control module merges two or more filters each associated with a different one of the filter matching modules into a single merged filter, and stores the merged filter to the filter memory. The network device applies the merged filter to packets in the forwarding path.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.