Batch Incremental Update for Packet Classification Rules
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current packet classification methods in network devices face inefficiencies due to high memory usage and performance issues when handling diverse rule sets, particularly in handling multiple fields of packet headers for advanced network services like routing, access control, and intrusion detection.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing a Rule Compiled Data Structure (RCDS) with an augmented housekeeping tree and shadow image to atomically update decision trees, allowing incremental updates to be processed efficiently without affecting performance, by reducing the number of operations and instructions required, and enabling atomic additions, deletions, and modifications of rules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If packet classification uses diverse rule sets for advanced network services, then network service capability is improved, but memory usage and processing performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the packet classification rules into multiple rule lists organized in a tree structure (housekeeping tree), where each node represents a category subtree and each rule list contains a subset of rules. This segmentation allows the system to handle diverse rule sets by dividing them into manageable portions, reducing the memory footprint compared to storing all rules in a single structure while maintaining the ability to access complete rule sets through the tree navigation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If packet classification uses diverse rule sets for advanced network services, then network service capability is improved, but processing performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary organization of rules into a housekeeping tree structure with category subtrees and rule lists before actual packet classification occurs. The rules are pre-sorted and structured in advance, allowing the classification process to quickly navigate through the organized structure rather than searching through unorganized rule sets. This preliminary structuring significantly improves processing performance when handling diverse rule sets for multiple network services.
3Adaptability or versatility
If incremental updates are applied individually to the decision tree, then rule flexibility is improved, but the number of operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple incremental rule updates into a single batch update operation. Instead of applying each incremental update individually to the decision tree (which would trigger multiple separate operations and affect the active search process multiple times), the system collects incremental updates and applies them together in one batch operation. This merging reduces the total number of operations while maintaining rule flexibility, as all updates are incorporated atomically from the perspective of the active search process.
4Reliability
If the RCDS is updated with multiple incremental updates, then rule set completeness is improved, but performance degradation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a housekeeping tree as an intermediary structure between the incoming incremental updates and the active RCDS (Rule Compiled Data Structure). The housekeeping tree serves as a buffer that accumulates incremental updates without immediately affecting the active search process. Once updates are accumulated in the housekeeping tree, they are applied together in a single batch operation to the RCDS. This intermediary mechanism ensures complete rule set updates while preventing performance degradation during the update process, as the active search process is not disturbed by intermediate update states.
Data Source
AI summary
A system, apparatus, and method are provided for adding, deleting, and modifying rules in one update from the perspective of an active search process for packet classification. While a search processor searches for one or more rules that match keys generated from received packets, there is a need to add, delete, or modify rules. By organizing a plurality incremental updates for adding, deleting, or modifying rules into a batch update, several operations for incorporating the incremental updates may be made more efficient by minimizing a number of updates required.