Packet flow classification

Abstract

Technologies for packet flow classification on a computing device include a hash table including a plurality of hash table buckets in which each hash table bucket maps a plurality of keys to corresponding traffic flows. The computing device performs packet flow classification on received data packets, where the packet flow classification includes a plurality of sequential classification stages and fetch classification operations and non-fetch classification operations are performed in each classification stage. The fetch classification operations include to prefetch a key of a first received data packet based on a set of packet fields of the first received data packet for use during a subsequent classification stage, prefetch a hash table bucket from the hash table based on a key signature of the prefetched key for use during another subsequent classification stage, and prefetch a traffic flow to be applied to the first received data packet based on the prefetched hash table bucket and the prefetched key. The computing device handles processing of received data packets such that a fetch classification operation is performed by the flow classification module on the first received data packet while a non-fetch classification operation is performed by the flow classification module on a second received data packet.