Cisco Technology, Inc.

Walter Glenn Dixon

Robert A Mackie

Chris O'Rourke

Mark Albert

Robert Michael Batz

Thomas R Bakita

Humberto M Tavares

Tzu-Ming Tsang

John G White

Keith Richard Schomburg

Bhagatram Yaugand Janarthanan

Dwight Rodney Frye, Jr

Frank W Pittenger

Imnaz Meher Jilani

Showen Yeh

Mahesh C Kalyanakrishnan

Louis F Menditto

Christopher O'Rourke

Humberto M Taváres

Alpesh S Patel

Farhad P Sunavala

Michael Sutton

Richard Gray

Kevin Franklin Clayton

Michael J Lemen

Juan M Mojica

Wai-tak Siu

Vinod Jagannath Damle

Clarence L Deitrich

Soon Teck Gibson Ang

Raymond G Prill

Dwight R Frye

Chris O'rourke

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving one or more packets of a communication session from one or more interfaces, such that the interface is a subscriber interface or a network interface. The method further includes associating the communication session to an end user with a source Internet Protocol (IP) address of the packet if the packet is received from the subscriber interface or to an end user with a destination IP address of the packet if the packet is received from the network interface.

System and method for associating an end user for billing in a network environment

Generating and analyzing call detail records for various uses of mobile network resources includes, at a mobile network service bus configured to communicate with one or more service entities in a mobile core network, generating a first set of call detail records (CDRs) for messages received from the service entities in the mobile core network and a second set of CDRs for messages received from a tenant server that is providing an applications or a service on the mobile core network. Each of the CDRs included in the first set of CDRs and the second set of CDRs is tagged based on the processes involved in generating the particular CDR. Relationships are determined between the CDRs included in the first set of CDRs and the second set of CDRs based on the tagging and one or more of usage operations and network diagnostic operations are performed based on the relationships.

Generating and analyzing call detail records for various uses of mobile network resources

A data flow is received at a network processor that includes a plurality of frames. A first set of frames in the plurality of frames are passed from the network processor to a general processor for processing by the general processor. A flow acceleration request is received at the network processor from the general processor based at least in part on inspection of a first frame in the first set of frames. The flow acceleration request is received subsequent to passing at least two of the first set of frames to the general processor. A particular frame in the plurality of frames received subsequent to the first set of frames is processed by the network processor such that it is accelerated relative to processing of the first set of frames by the general processor and bypasses the general processor.

Selective packet sequence acceleration in a network environment

A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes creating at a network element an entry designating an out of order ('OOO') sequence number range associated with a flow and receiving at the network element a packet associated with the flow, wherein the packet corresponds to a first sequence number range, wherein the first sequence number range falls within the OOO sequence number range designated in the entry. The method may further include updating the entry to remove sequence numbers comprising the first sequence number range from the OOO sequence number range and forwarding the packet without awaiting receipt of any other packets associated with the flow.

System and method for managing out of order packets in a network environment

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a plurality of communication sessions of a transaction associated with a postpaid end user. The method includes associating the plurality of communication sessions with the transaction and extracting data from the plurality of communication sessions associated with the transaction. The method includes generating a single billing record after the transaction is completed, the single billing record comprising the extracted data from the plurality of communication sessions associated with the transaction.

Generating a single billing record for multiple sessions in a network environment

At least one first frame of a first data flow is inspected by a general processing unit to at least determine whether a subsequent portion of the first data flow can be delegated to a network processing unit for accelerated processing. A deceleration trigger is defined for the first data flow from the inspection of the first frame. A first subsequent portion of the first data flow is delegated to a network processing unit for accelerated processing based, at least in part, on the defining of the first deceleration trigger. The first deceleration trigger defines at least one first condition that, when met during accelerated processing of the first data flow, prompts returning processing of the first data flow from the network processing unit to the general processing unit for further inspection of subsequent packets.

A method is provided in one example and includes receiving a plurality of packets associated with a flow; parsing the plurality of packets associated with the flow; executing a first quality of service decision such that a first set of packets within the plurality of packets are not forwarded to their intended destination; receiving a second set of packets, which reflects a retransmission of at least a portion of the first set of packets; executing a second quality of service decision such that the second set of packets is forwarded to their intended destination; and billing the second set of packets in response to forwarding the second set of packets. In more detailed embodiments, the method includes accessing a table in which entries are provided for particular sequence number ranges for the first set of packets.

System and method for providing a sequence numbering mechanism in a network environment

According to one embodiment, availability information describing virtual machines running on physical machines is accessed. The availability information associates each virtual machine with a physical resource used by the virtual machine. Use by the virtual machines is determined from the availability information. Availability of the physical resources is determined according to the use. Server load is balanced according to the availability of the physical resources. According to another embodiment, the following is performed until a load is accommodated: selecting a server having a load that is less than an expansion threshold; loading the server until the expansion threshold is reached; selecting a next server having a load that is less than a next expansion threshold; and loading the next server until the next expansion threshold is reached. Load of a low load server is determined to be below a contraction threshold, and the low load server is drained.

Balancing server load according to availability of physical resources based on the detection of out-of-sequence packets

At least one first frame of a first data flow can be received and passed to a general processor to inspect the at least one first frame. A flow acceleration request can be received including a set of conditions for accelerated processing, by a network processor, of a set of frames in the first data flow subsequent to the at least one first frame. At least one subsequent frame in the set of frames can be processed, using the network processor, in connection with forwarding of the subsequent frame to at least one remote network node, where processing of the subsequent frame is accelerated relative to processing of the at least one first frame and based, at least in part, on the set of conditions included in the flow acceleration request.

A first set of frames is received in a data flow and tagged with respective serial numbers identifying an ordering of frames in the first set. The tagged first set is forwarded to a general processor for processing prior to being sent to a remote network element. A data flow policy is received from the general processor based on processing of the first set. A second set of frames of the data flow are received subsequent to forwarding the first set to the general processor. It can be verified, based on the assigned serial numbers, that each frame in the first set has been sent to the remote network element prior to sending frames in the second set. The second set is processed and sent to the remote network element by the network processor, bypassing the general processor, based on the data flow policy.

Preserving sequencing during selective packet acceleration in a network environment

A method is provided in one example and includes receiving a request packet associated with a flow; designating an out of order sequence number range associated with the flow; creating an entry that designates the out of order sequence number range; receiving a subsequent packet that includes a particular sequence number range; referencing the out of order sequence number range; resolving a portion of the entry corresponding to the particular sequence number range for the subsequent packet; and forwarding the subsequent packet. In other embodiments, the request packet includes a content length field indicating the out of order sequence number range associated with the flow. Creating the entry can include creating a segment within a queue for the out of order sequence number range, which reflects expected sequence numbers for packets associated with the flow.

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a local node of a network, a sequenced data packet of a flow made up of multiple sequenced data packets from a source node directed toward a destination node. The flow is to be parsed by the local node to describe the flow for administration of the network. Based on sequence data in the sequenced data packet, it is determined whether the sequenced data packet is out of order in the flow. If it is determined that the sequenced data packet is out of order, then the sequenced data packet is forwarded toward the destination node before parsing the sequenced data packet. The out of order sequenced data packet is also stored for subsequent parsing at the local node.

Parsing out of order data packets at a content gateway of a network

A method for billing end users in a peer-to-peer transaction in a network environment is provided that includes a client services packet gateway operable to communicate with a first end user and a second end user in order to facilitate the peer-to-peer transaction and a flow manager element operable to receive one or more packets of the peer-to-peer transaction from one or more interfaces, such that the interface is a subscriber interface or a network interface. The flow manager is further operable to associate a first session object with the first user and associate a second session object with the second user.

Growing community of inventors

Fuquay Varina, NC, United States of America

Walter Glenn Dixon