DPI Request Network Element for Multi-Device Packet Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current deep packet inspection (DPI) devices are limited to supporting a single DPI device, making it challenging to manage network environments with multiple DPI devices, which hinders service management, content charging, and security requirements in telecommunication networks.
Innovation Solution
A packet processing method and DPI request network element that determine the appropriate DPI device based on packet features, enabling the sending of DPI requests and responses to multiple DPI devices, and managing DPI contexts to ensure seamless service flow across multiple devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single DPI device is configured, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but the adaptability to multiple DPI device environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The DPI request network element is designed with multi-functionality to interact with both single and multiple DPI devices. It implements universal DPI request sending and response receiving mechanisms that work regardless of the number of DPI devices in the network, allowing the same element to adapt to different deployment scenarios without requiring separate configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects which DPI device to send requests to based on current network conditions and DPI device availability. The DPI request network element can adaptively change its behavior to communicate with different DPI devices as needed, making the system flexible and adaptable to changing network environments while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Productivity
If multiple DPI devices are deployed, then the productivity and service management capability are improved, but the device complexity and difficulty of management increase
Solution Approach 1:
The DPI request network element serves as an intermediary between the network and multiple DPI devices. It centralizes the management of DPI requests and responses, abstracting the complexity of interacting with multiple DPI devices behind a single interface. This mediator approach allows multiple DPI devices to be managed through unified request-send and response-receive operations, reducing the apparent complexity while maintaining high productivity.
3Reliability
If DPI context is maintained across device switches, then the reliability of service flow is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring context state increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where DPI device identifiers and context information are tracked and communicated between DPI devices and the DPI request network element. When switching between DPI devices, the feedback loop ensures that context information is properly transferred and maintained, allowing the system to reliably maintain service flow context while managing the complexity of tracking device states through structured feedback messages.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide a packet processing method, a DPI network element and a DPI device. The method includes: determining, according to a packet feature of a first packet of a service flow, that a first deep packet inspection DPI device is used for performing DPI on the first packet, where DPI needs to be performed on the first packet; sending a first DPI request to the first DPI device, wherein the first DPI request includes all or part of contents of the first packet; and receiving a first DPI response that is sent by the first DPI device according to the first DPI request, wherein the first DPI response includes DPI result. The packet processing method, the DPI network element and the DPI device of the embodiments of the present invention can realize support for a network environment deployed with multiple DPI devices.