Router packet filtering and mapping

1. A method comprising:

determining, in a router, whether a test portion of a received packet matches test data specified in a filter, said filter further comprising a first offset parameter and a first length parameter specifying the test portion; and

upon a determination that said test portion matches said test data, modifying said received packet by said router replacing data in a map portion of said packet with map data specified in said filter, said filter comprising a second offset parameter and a second length parameter specifying said map portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first and second offset parameters specified in said filter are measured from a predetermined point of reference in said received packet.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a measured offset in said received packet to compensate for packet fragmentation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said received packet is an update packet transmitted from a first border router associated with a first autonomous system to a second border router associated with a second autonomous system.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said update packet is transmitted to said second border router through an established transport control protocol session.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said filter specifies multiple test portions, wherein each of said test portions comprises separate test data.

7. A network device, said device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to said processor;

wherein said processor is to:

receive a packet from a neighboring network device;

compare test data in a filter with data in a test portion of said packet specified by a first offset parameter and a first length parameter in said filter; and

upon a determination that said test data matches said data in said test portion, write map data specified in said filter to a map portion of said packet, said map portion specified by a second offset parameter and a second length parameter in said filter.

8. The network device of claim 7 , wherein said first and second offset parameters specified in said filter are measured from a predetermined point of reference in said received packet.

9. The network device of claim 7 , wherein said processor is further to adjust a measured offset in said received packet to compensate for packet fragmentation.

10. The network device of claim 7 , wherein said network device is a router.

11. The network device of claim 10 , wherein said network device is associated with an autonomous system and said received packet is an update packet transmitted from a neighboring border router associated with a neighboring autonomous system.

12. The network device of claim 7 , wherein said update packet is transmitted to said second border router through an established transport control protocol (TCP) session.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising

program code embodied therewith that when executed by a processor is to implement a method, wherein said program code is to:

determine whether a test portion of said received packet matches test data specified in a filter, said filter further comprising a first offset parameter and a first length parameter specifying the test portion; and

upon a determination that said test portion matches said test data, modify said received packet by replacing data in a map portion of said packet with map data specified in said filter, said filter comprising a second offset parameter and a second length parameter specifying said map portion.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein said first and second offset parameters specified in said filter are measured from a predetermined point of reference in said received packet.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein said filter specifies multiple test portions, wherein each of said test portions comprises separate test data.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said received packet comprises a border Gateway Protocol (BGP) header, and said first and second offset parameters are measured from the end of the BGP header.

17. The network device of claim 7 , wherein said received packet comprises a border Gateway Protocol (BGP) header, and said first and second offset parameters are measured from the end of the BGP header.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein said received packet comprises a border Gateway Protocol (BGP) header, and said first and second offset parameters are measured from the end of the BGP header.