The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 20, 2011
Filed:
May. 03, 2005
Edele O'malley, Lucan, IE;
Eugene O'neill, Dublin, IE;
Kam Choi, Tring, GB;
Daniel Martin O'keeffe, Dublin, IE;
Edele O'Malley, Lucan, IE;
Eugene O'Neill, Dublin, IE;
Kam Choi, Tring, GB;
Daniel Martin O'Keeffe, Dublin, IE;
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A cascade system of network units includes forwarding units which have external ports, a communication fabric connecting the units and at least one processing unit which needs no forwarding database. The processing unit may perform a security operation such as intrusion prevention or encryption. Each forwarding unit on receipt of a packet performs a look-up to determine an egress port, to determine whether the packet must be diverted to a processing unit, to provide the packet with a first forwarding instruction identifying the egress port uniquely within the system and a second forwarding instruction identifying a diversion port by which the packet can reach the processing unit and to set an order field which determines which of the forwarding instructions shall be performed first. The processing unit is operative on receipt of the packet by way of the diversion port to change the order field to specify that the packet should now be sent to the egress port.