Label switched data unit content evaluation

1. A method for determining a kind of an encapsulated data unit included in a message body of a data unit comprising:

receiving a data unit:

checking to learn whether the data unit is a Multi-Protocol Label Switched (MPLS) data unit, including examining a type field in a header of the data unit;

when the data unit is a Multi-Protocol Label Switched (MPLS) data unit, determining a kind of an encapsulated data unit included in a message body of the data unit, including evaluating in parallel whether the encapsulated data unit has Internet Protocol version 4 specific data, Internet Protocol version 6 specific data, an Internet Packet eXchange specific data, Sub-Network Access Protocol specific data, and Ethernet specific data to determine the kind of the encapsulated data unit;

extracting pertinent information from the encapsulated data unit, the pertinent information based on the kind of the encapsulated data unit; and

analyzing network traffic based on the kind of encapsulated data unit and the pertinent information.

2. A method for determining a kind of an encapsulated data unit included in a message body of a data unit comprising:

receiving a data unit intended for another node;

checking to learn whether the data unit is a label switched data unit;

when the data unit is a label switched data unit, determining a kind of an encapsulated data unit included in a message body of the data unit, including evaluating in parallel whether the encapsulated data unit has higher level communications protocol specific data and lower level communications protocol specific data included in the encapsulated data unit to determine the kind of the encapsulated data unit;

extracting pertinent information from the encapsulated data unit, the pertinent information based on the kind of the encapsulated data unit; and

storing the kind of encapsulated data unit and the pertinent information in a storage medium;

wherein at least one of the network cards has further instructions stored thereon which cause the network testing system to perform further operations comprising:

analyzing network traffic based on the kind of encapsulated data unit and the pertinent information.

3. A network testing system comprising a plurality of network cards, at least one network card of the plurality of network cards including:

a processor;

a memory coupled with the processor;

a storage device having instructions stored thereon which when executed cause the network testing system to perform actions comprising:

receiving a data unit;

checking to learn whether the data unit is a label switched data unit, including examining a type field in a header of the data unit;

when the data unit is a label switched data unit, determining a kind of an encapsulated data unit included in a message body of the data unit, the determining including performing a plurality of analyses of the message body in parallel;

extracting information from the encapsulated data unit based on the kind of the encapsulated data unit;

storing the kind of encapsulated data unit and the pertinent information in a storage medium.

4. The network testing system of claim 3 wherein the data unit is intended for a node that is not performing the receiving.

5. The network testing system of claim 3 wherein the plurality of analyses comprises:

evaluating whether the encapsulated data unit has one of an Internet Protocol specific data, Sub-Network Access Protocol specific data, and Ethernet specific data to determine the kind of the encapsulated data unit.

6. The network testing system of claim 5 wherein the Internet Protocol (IP) specific data conforms to at least one of an IP version 4, an IP version 6, and an Internet Packet eXchange protocol.

7. The network testing system of claim 3 , wherein the analyzing network traffic is performed by an application program.

8. A computing device to evaluate network traffic, the computing device comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled with the processor;

a storage device having instructions stored thereon which when executed cause the computing device to perform actions comprising receiving a data unit;

checking whether the data unit is a label switched data unit, including examining a type field in a header of the data unit;

when the data unit is a label switched data unit, determining a kind of an encapsulated data unit included in a message body of the data unit, the determining including performing a plurality of analyses of the message body in parallel;

extracting information from the encapsulated data unit based on the kind of the encapsulated data unit; and

storing the kind of encapsulated data unit and the pertinent information in a storage medium;

wherein the computer device having further instructions which cause the computing device to perform further operations comprising:

analyzing network traffic based on the kind of encapsulated data unit and the pertinent information.

9. The computing device of claim 8 wherein the data unit is intended for a node that is not performing the receiving.

10. The computing device of claim 8 wherein the plurality of analyses comprises:

evaluating whether the encapsulated data unit has one of an Internet Protocol specific data, Sub-Network Access Protocol specific data, and Ethernet specific data to determine the kind of the encapsulated data unit.

11. The computing device of claim 10 wherein the Internet Protocol (IP) specific data conforms to at least one of an IP version 4, an IP version 6, and an Internet Packet eXchange protocol.

12. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein the analyzing network traffic is performed by an application program.

13. A method for determining a kind of an encapsulated data unit included in a data unit comprising:

receiving a data unit;

checking whether the data unit is a label switched data unit, including examining a type field in a header of the data unit;

when the data unit is a label switched data unit,

determining a kind of an encapsulated data unit included in a message body of the data unit, the determining including performing a plurality of analyses of the message body in parallel;

extracting pertinent information from the encapsulated data unit based on the kind of the encapsulated data unit;

storing the kind of encapsulated data unit and the pertinent information in a storage medium; and

analyzing network traffic based on the kind of encapsulated data unit and the pertinent information.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the data unit is intended for a node that is not performing the receiving.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of analyses comprises:

evaluating whether the encapsulated data unit has one of an Internet Protocol specific data, Sub-Network Access Protocol specific data, and Ethernet specific data to determine the kind of the encapsulated data unit.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the Internet Protocol specific data conforms to at least one of Internet Protocol version 4, Internet Protocol version 6, and Internet Packet eXchange protocol.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the analyzing network traffic is performed by an application program.

18. A method for determining a kind of an encapsulated data unit included in a data unit comprising:

receiving a data unit;

checking whether the data unit is a label switched data unit, including examining a type field in a header of the data unit;

when the data unit is a Multi-Protocol Label Switched (MPLS) data unit,

determining a kind of an encapsulated data unit included in a message body of the data unit, including performing a plurality of analyses of the message body in parallel;

extracting pertinent information from the encapsulated data unit based on the kind of the encapsulated data unit;

storing the kind of encapsulated data unit and the pertinent information in a storage medium; and

analyzing network traffic based on the kind of encapsulated data unit and the pertinent information.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the plurality of analyses comprises:

evaluating whether the encapsulated data unit has one of Internet Protocol version 4 specific data, Internet Protocol version 6 specific data, Internet Packet eXchange specific data, Sub-Network Access Protocol specific data, Ethernet Specific data, and unknown specific data to determine the kind of the encapsulated data unit.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the analyzing network traffic is performed by an application program.