System and method for processing packets according to user specified rules governed by a syntax
View Patent ↗An apparatus and method for enhancing the infrastructure of a network such as the Internet is disclosed. A packet interceptor/processor apparatus is coupled with the network so as to be able to intercept and process packets flowing over the network. Further, the apparatus provides external connectivity to other devices that wish to intercept packets as well. The apparatus applies one or more rules to the intercepted packets which execute one or more functions on a dynamically specified portion of the packet and take one or more actions with the packets. The apparatus is capable of analyzing any portion of the packet including the header and payload. Actions include releasing the packet unmodified, deleting the packet, modifying the packet, logging/storing information about the packet or forwarding the packet to an external device for subsequent processing. Further, the rules may be dynamically modified by the external devices.
1. A system for processing a plurality of packets according to a first application defined by an entity, each of the plurality of packets being communicated via a network from a source to a destination intended by the source, each of the plurality of packets comprising a plurality of portions, the system comprising:
a packet interceptor coupled with the network and operative to selectively capture a packet of the plurality of packets from the network;
a processor coupled with the packet interceptor and a first memory; and
first logic stored in the first memory, the first logic being executable by the processor to allow the entity to select and relate a first set of at least two of a plurality of packet processing operations to be performed by the processor with respect to the captured packet to implement the first application, the plurality of packet processing operations including at least one of a data gathering operation, decision making operation, action taking operation or combinations thereof, the performance of at least one of the at least two packet processing operations being based on at least a portion of a previously captured packet which was communicated via the network from the destination to the source; and
wherein the processor is further coupled with second logic, the second logic defining a plurality of sub-operations executable by the processor, each of the plurality of packet processing operations being associated with a sub-set of the plurality of sub-operations, the execution of which implements the associated packet processing operation, and further wherein the performance of a packet processing operation of the plurality of packet processing operations causes the processor to automatically execute the associated sub-set of the plurality of sub-operations to implement the packet processing operation transparently to the entity.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data gathering operation comprises at least one of extract data from the packet, retrieve data relating to the packet from a second memory coupled with the processor, retrieve data relating to a past packet from the second memory or combinations thereof.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the decision making operation comprises at least one of evaluate a function, determine a next operation to be performed by the processor, or combinations thereof.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the action taking operation comprises at least one of store at least a portion of the captured packet in a second memory coupled with the processor, modify at least a portion of the captured packet, delete at least a portion of the captured packet, copy at least a portion of the captured packet, forward at least a portion of the captured packet, substitute for at least a portion of the captured packet, release at least a portion of the captured packet, store data relating to at least a portion of the captured packet, take no action, modify a packet processing operation, delete a packet processing operation, select a packet processing operation, relate a packet processing operation, or combinations thereof.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first logic comprises a syntax operative to define the selection and relation of each of the plurality of packet processing operations to another of the plurality of packet processing operations.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the syntax further defines the order in which the first processor performs each of the packet processing operations of the first set.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first logic is further operative to allow the entity to select and relate a second set of at least two of the plurality of packet processing operations to be performed by the processor with respect to the packet to implement a second application, wherein said processor performs the first and second sets substantially simultaneously.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first logic is further operative to allow the entity to select and relate a second set of at least two of the plurality of packet processing operations to be performed by the processor with respect to another packet selectively captured by the packet interceptor to implement a second application, wherein said processor performs the first and second sets substantially simultaneously.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first logic is further operative to allow the selection and relation using graphic representations of each of the plurality of packet processing operations.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first logic is further operative to allow the selection and relation using textual representations of each of the plurality of packet processing operations.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first logic is further operative to encode the first set as interpreted code executable by an interpreter executed by the first processor.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first logic is further operative to encode the first set as object code executable by the first processor.
13. A method for processing a plurality of packets according to a first application defined by an entity, each of the plurality of packets being communicated via a network from a source to a destination intended by the source, each of the plurality of packets comprising a plurality of portions, the method comprising:
capturing, selectively, a packet of the plurality of packets from the network;
allowing the entity to select and relate a first set of at least two of a plurality of packet processing operations to be performed by a processor with respect to the captured packet to implement the first application, the plurality of packet processing operations including at least one of a data gathering operation, decision making operation, action taking operation or combinations thereof, the performance of at least one of the at least two packet processing operations being based on at least a portion of a previously captured packet which was communicated via the network from the destination to the source; and
defining a plurality of sub-operations executable by the processor, each of the plurality of packet processing operations being associated with a sub-set of the plurality of sub-operations, the execution of which implements the associated packet processing operation, and further wherein the performance of a packet processing operation of the plurality of packet processing operations causes the processor to automatically execute the associated sub-set of the plurality of sub-operations to implement the packet processing operation transparently to the entity.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the data gathering operation comprises at least one of extracting data from the packet, retrieving data relating to the packet from a memory coupled with the processor, retrieving data relating to a past packet from the memory or combinations thereof.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the decision making operation comprises at least one of evaluating a function, determining a next operation to be performed by the processor, or combinations thereof.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the action taking operation comprises at least one of storing at least a portion of the captured packet in a memory coupled with the processor, modifying at least a portion of the captured packet, deleting at least a portion of the captured packet, copying at least a portion of the captured packet, forwarding at least a portion of the captured packet, substituting for at least a portion of the captured packet, releasing at least a portion of the captured packet, storing data relating to at least a portion of the captured packet, taking no action, modifying a packet processing operation, deleting a packet processing operation, selecting a packet processing operation, relating a packet processing operation, or combinations thereof.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the allowing further comprises defining a syntax specifying the selection and relation of each of the plurality of packet processing operations to another of the plurality of packet processing operations.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the syntax further defines the order in which the first processor performs each of the packet processing operations of the first set.
19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the allowing further comprises allowing the entity to select and relate a second set of at least two of the plurality of packet processing operations to be performed by the processor with respect to the packet to implement a second application, wherein said processor performs the first and second sets substantially simultaneously.
20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the allowing further comprises allowing the entity to select and relate a second set of at least two of the plurality of packet processing operations to be performed by the processor with respect to another packet selectively captured by the packet interceptor to implement a second application, wherein said processor performs the first and second sets substantially simultaneously.
21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the allowing further comprises allowing the selection and relation using graphic representations of each of the plurality of packet processing operations.
22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the allowing further comprises allowing the selection and relation using textual representations of each of the plurality of packet processing operations.
23. The method of claim 13 , wherein the allowing further comprises encoding the first set as interpreted code executable by an interpreter executed by the first processor.
24. The method of claim 13 , wherein the allowing further comprises encoding the first set as object code executable by the first processor.
25. A system for processing a plurality of packets according to a first application defined by an entity, each of the plurality of packets being communicated via a network from a source to a destination intended by the source, each of the plurality of packets comprising a plurality of portions, the method comprising:
means for capturing, selectively, a packet of the plurality of packets from the network;
means for allowing the entity to select and relate a first set of at least two of a plurality of packet processing operations to be performed by a processor with respect to the captured packet to implement the first application, the plurality of packet processing operations including at least one of a data gathering operation, decision making operation, action taking operation or combinations thereof, the performance of at least one of the at least two packet processing operations being based on at least a portion of a previously captured packet which was communicated via the network from the destination to the source; and
means for defining a plurality of sub-operations executable by the processor, each of the plurality of packet processing operations being associated with a sub-set of the plurality of sub-operations, the execution of which implements the associated packet processing operation, and further wherein the performance of a packet processing operation of the plurality of packet processing operations causes the processor to automatically execute the associated sub-set of the plurality of sub-operations to implement the packet processing operation transparently to the entity.