Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for describing packet headers in a format that can be used by a code generation tool to generate source code that can generate any type of packet header when compiled and invoked within switch/router firmware. Such packet headers may then be used in a variety of switch diagnostic/testing functions. A code generation tool may be configured to receive a description of a packet header in the description format. The packet description language provides an easily used approach for defining fields in a packet header. Further, the code generation tool may be configured to generate packet header library for use by firmware on a network device, e.g., for testing and diagnostic functions.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for describing packet headers in a format that can be used by a code generation tool to generate source code that can generate any type of packet header when compiled and invoked within switch/router firmware. Such packet headers may then be used in a variety of switch diagnostic/testing functions. A code generation tool may be configured to receive a description of a packet header in the description format. The packet description language provides an easily used approach for defining fields in a packet header. Further, the code generation tool may be configured to generate packet header library for use by firmware on a network device, e.g., for testing and diagnostic functions.

Abstract: A network comprises a local group of network workstations and clients that periodically need access to a wide area network like the Internet. A class-based queue traffic shaper is placed in between and enforces multiple service-level agreement policies on individual connection sessions by limiting the maximum data throughput for each connection. The class-based queue traffic shaper distinguishes amongst datapackets according to their respective source and/or destination application types. Which policy is appropriate to enforce is found by listing all standard port numbers for an application in a single port group. Policies are attached according to port group. The field of over 64K possible port numbers is thus reduced to a short list of application groups, e.g., twelve or less. When a datapacket arrives that needs to be classified according to application, its port numbers are used to index a port group table This returns an application type and a concomitant service-level agreement policy.

Abstract: A network comprises a local group of network workstations and clients that periodically need access to a wide area network like the Internet. A class-based queue traffic shaper is placed in between and enforces multiple service-level agreement policies on individual connection sessions by limiting the maximum data throughput for each connection. The class-based queue traffic shaper distinguishes amongst datapackets according to their respective source and/or destination IP-addresses. Which policy is appropriate to enforce is found by placing all IP-addresses with policies attached to them into an ordered list of three-byte segment numbers. The least significant byte of an IP-address is dropped to form a segment number. Classification then depends on finding the IP-address in a datapacket to the ordered list of segment numbers. If a match occurs, an index lookup table for the respective segment allows the least-significant fourth byte of the IP-address to point to the bandwidth policy to use.