Traffic differentiator systems and related methods including automatic packet stream order determination
View Patent ↗Traffic differentiator systems for network devices and related methods are disclosed that include automatic port order determination. The disclosed embodiments includes input ports that receive a first stream of packets and a second stream of packets and a packet difference processor that operates in a learning mode and a normal mode. In the learning mode of operation, the packet difference processor automatically determines a port order representing whether the first stream of packets for the first port or the second stream of packets for the second port represents a first in time version of received packets. In the normal mode of operation, the packet difference processor uses the port order determination to facilitate determination of difference packets between the first stream of packets and the second stream of packets.
1. A method for generating difference packets between multiple packet streams, comprising:
receiving a first stream of packets;
receiving a second stream of packets;
automatically determining whether the first stream of packets or the second stream of packets represents a first in time stream of received packets;
identifying packets that match and difference packets between the first stream of packets and the second stream of packets based upon the determination of the first in time stream of received packets; and
outputting the difference packets without the matching packets.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically determining the first in time stream of received packets based upon a time window.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first stream of packets is received at a first port and the second stream of packets is received at a second port, and wherein the automatically determining comprises a port order determination of whether the first port or the second port receives the first in time stream of received packets.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first stream of packets and the second stream of packets are combined and received at a single port.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the automatically determining is performed in a learning mode of operation, and the identifying and outputting are performed in a normal mode of operation.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second stream of packets represents a processed version of the first stream of packets.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second streams of packets are received from a single network device.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein one of the first and second streams of packets includes only ingress packets for the single network device and one of the first and second streams of packets includes only egress packets for the single network device.
9. A method for generating difference packets between multiple packet streams, comprising:
receiving a first stream of packets;
receiving a second stream of packets;
automatically determining, based upon a time window, whether the first stream of packets or the second stream of packets represents a first in time stream of received packets;
identifying difference packets between the first stream of packets and the second stream of packets based upon the determination of the first in time stream of received packets; and
outputting the difference packets;
wherein the automatically determining comprises:
generating a first match count for packets within the first stream of packets that match packets within the second stream of packets during the time window;
generating a second match count for packets within the second stream of packets that match packets within the first stream of packets during the time window; and
determining the first in time stream of packets based upon the first and second match counts.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining the first in time stream of packets by comparing the first and second match counts to a match threshold or by comparing the first and second match counts to each other.
11. A system to generate difference packets between multiple packet streams, comprising:
one or more input ports configured to receive a first stream of packets and a second stream of packets;
one or more output ports configured to output difference packets; and
one or more processors configured to automatically determine whether the first stream of packets or the second stream of packets represents a first in time stream of received packets;
wherein the one or more processors are further configured to identify packets that match and difference packets between the first stream of packets and the second stream of packets based upon the determination of the first in time stream of received packets and to forward the difference packets to the one or more output ports without the matching packets.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to automatically determine the first in time stream of received packets based upon a time window.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein a first input port is configured to receive the first stream of packets, wherein a second input port is configured to receive the second stream, and wherein the processor is further configured to make a port order determination of whether the first port or the second port receives the first in time stream of received packets.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein a single input port is configured to receive a combined stream of packets including the first stream of packets and the second stream of packets.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to operate in a learning mode to determine the first in time stream of received packets and to operate in a normal mode to identify the difference packets and to forward the difference packets to the one or more output ports.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second stream of packets represents a processed version of the first stream of packets.
17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first and second streams of packets are packets from a single network device.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein one of the first and second streams of packets includes only ingress packets for the single network device and one of the first and second streams of packets includes only egress packets for the single network device.
19. A system to generate difference packets between multiple packet streams, comprising:
one or more input ports configured to receive a first stream of packets and a second stream of packets;
one or more output ports configured to output difference packets; and
one or more processors configured to automatically determine, based upon a time window, whether the first stream of packets or the second stream of packets represents a first in time stream of received packets;
wherein the one or more processors are further configured to identify difference packets between the first stream of packets and the second stream of packets based upon the determination of the first in time stream of received packets and to forward the difference packets to the one or more output ports; and
wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate a first match count for packets within the first stream of packets that match packets within the second stream of packets during the time window, generate a second match count for packets within the second stream of packets that match packets within the first stream of packets during the time window, and to determine the first in time stream of packets based upon the first and second match counts.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine the first in time stream of packets using a comparison of the first and second match counts to a match threshold or using a comparison of the first and second match counts to each other.