Abstract: Communication apparatus includes multiple interfaces connected to a packet data network and at least one memory configured as a buffer to contain packets received through the ingress interfaces while awaiting transmission to the network via respective egress interfaces. Processing circuitry is configured to identify data flows to which the data packets that are received through the ingress interfaces belong, to assess respective bandwidth characteristics of the data flows, and to select one or more of the data flows as candidate flows for mirroring responsively to the respective bandwidth characteristics. The processing circuitry selects, responsively to one or more predefined mirroring criteria, one or more of the data packets in the candidate flows for analysis by a network manager, and sends the selected data packets to the network manager over the network via one of the egress interfaces.

Abstract: In a method for processing packets in a network device, a first packet is received at a first port of the network device. A first set of bits, corresponding to a first set of bit locations in a header of the first packet, is extracted from the header of the first packet. A first set of processing operations is performed to process the first packet using the first set of bits. A second packet is received at a second port of the network device. A second set of bits, corresponding to a second set of bit locations in a header of the second packet, is extracted from the header of the second packet. A second set of processing operations is performed to process the second packet using the second set of bits.

Abstract: A method includes extracting classification keys from a collection of data items. A corpus of rules for matching to the classification keys is received, each rule including a respective set of unmasked bits having corresponding bit values, and at least some of the rules also include masked bits. Rule patterns are extracted from the corpus, each rule pattern defining a respective sequence of masked and unmasked bits to which one or more of the rules conforms. Multiple hash tables are defined in a RAM, each is used for searching for a rule that matches a given classification key. A match result of a given rule in a given hash table is also indicative of which of the other hash tables are to be used for subsequent searching. The data items are classified by matching the respective classification keys to the rules using one or more of the hash tables.

Abstract: A network device includes a packet processor device that determines that packets are to be transmitted via a group of network interfaces, and a load balancing network interface selector. The load balancing network interface selector selects network interfaces in the group via which to egress packets from the network device using a first hash function. In response to determining that a first network interface within the group has become inoperable, the load balancing network interface selector continues to use the first hash function to select network interfaces in the group via which to egress packets from the network device. In response to determining that the first network interface within the group has become inoperable and when the first network interface is selected for packets using the first hash function, the load balancing load balancing network interface selector reselects network interfaces in the group using a second hash function.

Abstract: In a network element a decision apparatus has a plurality of multi-way hash tables of single size and double size associative entries. A logic pipeline extracts a search key from each of a sequence of received data items. A hash circuit applies first and second hash functions to the search key to generate first and second indices. A lookup circuit reads associative entries in the hash tables that are indicated respectively by the first and second indices, matches the search key against the associative entries in all the ways. Upon finding a match between the search key and an entry key in an indicated associative entry. A processor uses the value of the indicated associative entry to insert associative entries from a stash of associative entries into the hash tables in accordance with a single size and a double size cuckoo insertion procedure.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and products for associating external devices to vehicles and usage of said association. One method obtains information from one or more mobile devices that are connected to the external device. The information is used to determine that the external device is associated with a vehicle, whereby another mobile device is enabled to determine that it is being located on the vehicle based on the mobile device being connected to the external device. Another method obtains an indication that a mobile device is connected to an external device. A database is accessed to retrieve an associated of the external device with a vehicle, whereby it is deduced that the mobile device is located in or on the vehicle. In response to the deduction, a predetermined action may be performed.

Abstract: A meter module for use in a network device comprises conformance circuitry configured to: access a first memory device storing a conformance indicator that indicates whether a permitted rate of packet traffic has been exceeded, and classify packets received at the network device based at least in part on the conformance indicator. Sampling circuitry is configured to, responsively to the conformance circuitry classifying the packets: sample events associated with at least some of the received packets, and generate indicators of the sampled events. Update circuitry is configured to: access a second memory device, slower than the first memory, to update a number of tokens stored in the second memory device, and access the first memory device to update the conformance indicator when the updated number of tokens indicates that the permitted rate of packet traffic has been exceeded.

Abstract: In a method for forwarding packets in a network device a plurality of hash values is generated based on a lookup key. The plurality of hash values includes at least a first hash value generated using a first hash function, a second hash value generated using a second hash function and a third hash value generated using a third hash function. The third hash function is different from the first hash function and the second hash function. An entry in a lookup table is selected using the first hash value and the second hash value, wherein the selected entry includes an offset for the lookup key. A forwarding entry in a forwarding table is selected using the third hash value and the offset for the lookup key, wherein the forwarding entry corresponds to the lookup key. The packet is forwarded to one or more ports of the network device using the selected forwarding entry.

Abstract: ECMP routing is carried out in fabric of network entities by representing valid destinations and invalid destinations in a group of the entities by a member vector. The order of the elements in the member vector is permuted and fanned out. A portion of the elements in the fanned out vector is pseudo-randomly masked. A flow of packets is transmitted to the first valid destination in the masked member vector.

Abstract: A data packet is received in a network element. The network element has a cache memory in which cache entries represent a portion of addresses stored in a main memory, The destination address and the cache entries each comprise a binary number. A first determination is made that a number M of the most significant bits of a cache entry and the destination address are identical. A second determination is made that an additional number M+L of the most significant bits of a cache entry and the destination address are identical. Routing information is then retrieved the cache memory, and the packet processed according to the routing information.

Abstract: A routing table is represented as a binary search tree ordered by prefix lengths. Markers are placed to guide accessing nodes in designated subtrees to search for a longest prefix match with destination addresses of data packet. Destination descendant nodes in remote hierarchical levels of the tree are associated with the markers. The traversal of the binary search tree is conducted by accessing the respective destination descendant nodes while avoiding accessing nodes in intermediate hierarchical levels. The packet is processed using the longest prefix match.

Abstract: A mobile communications device includes a locator unit to receive and process information regarding a current location for the mobile communications device, a parking status determination unit to determine a parking status for the device based on at least changes in the current location, and a communication unit to forward the parking status to a parking community processor. A method includes determining a parking status of a vehicle associated with a person as a function of movement of a personal mobile communications device.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program product for determining parking occupancy. In some embodiments, the parking occupancy is determined based on at least one distance between a parking location of a user and a destination of the user. In some embodiments, the parking occupancy is determined based on one or more parking instances in a paid parking lot and is based on the distance from the paid parking lot. In some embodiments, the parking occupancy is determined based on at least one route of a vehicle while searching for parking. In some embodiments, the parking occupancy is determined based on a parking curve. The parking occupancy can be used to compute an estimated arrival time which includes an estimated searching for parking time. The parking occupancy information can be used to rank parking areas.

Abstract: Communication apparatus includes multiple interfaces configured to be connected to respective links in a packet data network. Switching circuitry in the apparatus is coupled between the interfaces and is configured to receive, via a first interface among the multiple interfaces, an adaptive routing notification (ARN) requesting that a specified flow of packets from a given source to a given destination in the network be rerouted. The switching circuitry is configured, upon verifying that the first interface serves as an egress interface for the packets in the specified flow, to reroute the specified flow through a different, second interface among the multiple interfaces when there is an alternative route available in the network from the second interface to the given destination, and after finding that there is no alternative route available from any of the interfaces to the given destination, to forward the ARN to a plurality of the interfaces.

Abstract: A network address associated with a packet is obtained at a search engine of a network device. The search engine includes a plurality of Bloom filters that represent prefixes of respective lengths in the routing table. Respective Bloom filters are applied to respective prefixes of the network address to determine a set of one or more prefixes for which a match potentially exists in the routing table. A number of accesses to the memory are performed using prefixes in set of prefixes, beginning with a longest prefix and continuing in decreasing order of prefix lengths until a matching entry is found in the routing table, and routing information for the packet is retrieved. If the number of performed memory accesses exceeds a threshold, the routing table is adapted to reduce a number of memory accesses to be performed for subsequent packets associated with the network address.

Abstract: A first set of bits is extracted from a header of a first packet. A second set of bits is extracted from a header of a second packet. The first set of bits and the second set of bits are combined into a combined single data unit representing the first packet and the second packet. The combined single data unit is transferred to a packet processing device. The packet processing device decomposes the single data unit to extract the first set of bits corresponding to the first packet and the second set of bits corresponding to the second packet. A first reduced set of processing operations is performed to process the first packet using the first set of bits corresponding to the first packet. A second reduced set of processing operations is performed to process the second packet using the second set of bits corresponding to the second packet.

Abstract: A plurality of packets are received by a packet processing device, and the packets are distributed among two or more packet processing node elements for processing of the packets. The packets are assigned to respective packet classes, each class corresponding to a group of packets for which an order in which the packets were received is to be preserved. The packets are queued in respective queues corresponding to the assigned packet classes and according to an order in which the packets were received by the packet processing device. The packet processing node elements issue respective instructions indicative of processing actions to be performed with respect to the packets, and indications of at least some of the processing actions are stored. A processing action with respect to a packet is performed when the packet has reached a head of a queue corresponding to the class associated with the packet.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and products for associating external devices to vehicles and usage of said association. One method obtains information from one or more mobile devices that are connected to the external device. The information is used to determine that the external device is associated with a vehicle, whereby another mobile device is enabled to determine that it is being located on the vehicle based on the mobile device being connected to the external device. Another method obtains an indication that a mobile device is connected to an external device. A database is accessed to retrieve an associated of the external device with a vehicle, whereby it is deduced that the mobile device is located in or on the vehicle. In response to the deduction, a predetermined action may be performed.

Abstract: In a network element a decision apparatus has a plurality of multi-way hash tables of single size and double size associative entries. A logic pipeline extracts a search key from each of a sequence of received data items. A hash circuit applies first and second hash functions to the search key to generate first and second indices. A lookup circuit reads associative entries in the hash tables that are indicated respectively by the first and second indices, matches the search key against the associative entries in all the ways. Upon finding a match between the search key and an entry key in an indicated associative entry. A processor uses the value of the indicated associative entry to insert associative entries from a stash of associative entries into the hash tables in accordance with a single size and a double size cuckoo insertion procedure.

Abstract: A network device includes a plurality of interfaces configured to receive, from a network, packets to be processed by the network device. A load determination circuit of the network device is configured to determine whether a packet traffic load of the network device is above a traffic load threshold, and a dual-mode counter module is configured to (i) determine a count of quanta associated with the received packets using a first counting mode in response to the load determination unit determining that the packet traffic load is above the traffic load threshold, and (ii) determine a count of quanta associated with the received packets using a second counting mode, different than the first counting mode, in response to the load determination unit determining that the packet traffic load is not above the traffic load threshold.