DYNAMICALLY SCRIPTABLE IP PACKET PROCESSING ENGINE

1 . A dynamically-scriptable router, comprising:

a packet input port;

a packet output port;

a dynamically scriptable packet processing engine; and

an application interface for loading a packet processing script into the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine.

2 . The dynamically-scriptable router of claim 1 , wherein one or more packet processing scripts are loaded into the packet processing engine at run time.

3 . The dynamically-scriptable router of claim 1 , wherein the packet processing script is written in an interpreted language and wherein the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine comprises a script interpreter.

4 . The dynamically-scriptable router of claim 3 , wherein, if the packet processing script contains a programming fault, the script interpreter of the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine terminates the packet processing script or provides an exception handler to continue processing the script in a manner that allows the script to continue executing.

5 . The dynamically-scriptable router of claim 3 , wherein the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine further comprises a just in time compilation engine and wherein the just in time compilation engine is used to optimize the packet processing script.

6 . The dynamically-scriptable router of claim 1 , wherein the packet processing script is a binary executable program.

7 . The dynamically-scriptable router of claim 1 , wherein the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine processes scripts in a prioritized fashion.

8 . The dynamically-scriptable router of claim 1 , wherein the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine is added to a forwarding plane of the dynamically-scriptable router.

9 . The dynamically-scriptable router of claim 1 , wherein the packet processing script comprises an arbitrary list of instructions.

10 . The dynamically-scriptable router of claim 1 , further comprising memory accessible to the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine.

11 . A method for dynamically controlling a router, the method comprising:

providing a dynamically-scriptable router having a packet input port, a packet output port, a dynamically scriptable packet processing engine, and an application interface; and

loading a packet processing script into the scriptable packet processing engine through the application interface.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising loading a packet processing script into the scriptable packet processing engine through the application interface at run time.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the packet processing script is written in an interpreted language and wherein the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine comprises a script interpreter.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising, if the packet processing script contains a programming fault, the script interpreter of the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine terminating the packet processing script or providing an exception handler to continue processing the script in a manner that allows the script to continue executing.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine further comprises a just in time compilation engine, the method further comprising the just in time compilation engine optimizing the packet processing script.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the packet processing script is a binary executable program.

17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine processing scripts in a prioritized fashion.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine is added to a forwarding plane of the dynamically-scriptable router.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the packet processing script comprises an arbitrary list of instructions.

20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the router further comprises memory accessible to the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine.

21 . A system for dynamically controlling a router, comprising:

a dynamically-scriptable router comprising

a packet input port,

a packet output port,

a dynamically scriptable packet processing engine,

an application interface, and

a controller in communication with the packet input port, the packet output port, the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine, and the application interface, the controller being configured to load a packet processing script into the scriptable packet processing engine through the application interface.

22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the controller is further configured to load a packet processing script into the scriptable packet processing engine through the application interface at run time.

23 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the packet processing script is written in an interpreted language and wherein the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine comprises a script interpreter.

24 . The system of claim 23 , wherein the controller is further configured to, if the packet processing script contains a programming fault, instruct the script interpreter of the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine to terminate the packet processing script or provide an exception handler to continue processing the script in a manner that allows the script to continue executing.

25 . The system of claim 23 , wherein the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine further comprises a just in time compilation engine, wherein the controller is further configured to optimize the packet processing script using the just in time compilation engine.

26 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the packet processing script is a binary executable program.

27 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the controller is further configured to instruct the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine to process scripts in a prioritized fashion.

28 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine is added to a forwarding plane of the dynamically-scriptable router.

29 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the packet processing script comprises an arbitrary list of instructions.

30 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the router further comprises memory in communication with the controller and accessible to the dynamically scriptable packet processing engine.