Patent · US Active

Packet parsing and key generation in a network device

US9479620B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by
3References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 16, 2014
Grant dateOct 25, 2016
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 9, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L69/18
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A packet being processed by a network device is parsed by a programmable processing unit executing computer readable instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. Parsing the packet includes identifying one or more protocol layers within a header of the packet, identifying respective locations of protocol headers within the header of the packet, and providing the respective identified locations of protocol headers within the header of the packet to a hardware key generator block. A lookup key corresponding to the packet is generated by the key generator block using the respective identified locations. Generating the lookup key includes extracting, using an identified location of a protocol header, one or more fields from the corresponding protocol header. The lookup key is provided to a lookup engine. A lookup operation with respect to the packet is performed by the lookup engine and based on the lookup key.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.