Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

3com Corporation

Tippingpoint Technologies, Inc.

Charles R Buckman

Dennis James Cox

Brian Smith

Craig S Cantrell

Marc Willebeek-LeMair

Joe Wayne Blackard

Francis S Webster, Iii

Jon Harald Werner

Donovan Kolbly

Donovan M Kolby

John H Werner

A network node includes a classify engine interfaced with the Internet. The classify engine accepts packets from the Internet and determines classification information for each packet. A process engine is interfaced with the classify engine, and has ports, each port being associated with a function. A controller is interfaced with the classify engine and the process engine. The controller programs the classify engine with a dataflow program to route each packet to a predetermined port of the process engine based on the classification information of the packet.

System and method for processing network packet flows

A system and method provides a broadband network node for a best effort network such as the Internet or intranets which supports the inexpensive and rapid deployment of services to the best efforts network. Separate data path and control path mechanisms allow high-speed data transfers with parallel processing flows for the data path that are controlled across data flows by the control path. Packets are classified, modified and shaped to enable the service on the network with an accountant to track packet traffic for control and billing purposes. A series of processing blades perform a modification function for each blade that processes packets according to classifications. The processing blades are modular and scalable for insertion in the broad band switch to rapidly adapt the broadband network node for new services.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Charles R Buckman