Prediction Based Methods for Fast Routing of IP Flows Using Communication/Network Processors

1. A method for processing a packet flow via a processor, the method comprising: receiving a first packet of the flow; parsing the first packet, extracting fields of the first packet, and validating the extracted fields of the first packet; performing a series of table lookups for the validated fields to determine a destination for the first packet; transmitting the first packet to the determined destination; and storing data corresponding to the validated fields and the determined destination of the first packet in a hash table in a memory of the processor, the data being a signature function for the packet flow.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: receiving a second packet of the flow.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising: parsing the second packet, extracting fields of the second packet, and validating the extracted fields of the second packet.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising: determining that the validated fields of the second packet are associated with the validated fields of the first packet defined by the signature function.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising: accessing the signature function data stored in the hash table.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising: routing the second packet based upon the signature function data.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising: removing the signature function data from the hash table after a pre-determined time interval elapses.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the second packet is routed to the destination of the first packet.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the signature function data includes at least one of: an action and a next hop identification.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is one of: a network processor and a communications processor.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the packet flow is an Internet Protocol packet flow.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the table lookups are one of: Policy Based Routing lookups and Access Control Lists lookups.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for processing a packet flow via a processor, the method comprising: receiving a first packet of the packet flow; parsing the first packet, extracting fields of the first packet, and validating the extracted fields of the first packet; performing a series of table lookups for the validated fields to determine a destination for the first packet, the table lookups including Policy Based Routing lookups; transmitting the first packet to the determined destination; and storing data corresponding to the validated fields and the determined destination of the first packet in a hash table in a memory of the processor, the data being a signature function for the packet flow.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 13 , the method further comprising: receiving a second packet of the flow.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 14 , the method further comprising: parsing the second packet, extracting fields of the second packet, and validating the extracted fields of the second packet.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 15 , the method further comprising: determining that the validated fields of the second packet are associated with the validated fields of the first packet defined by the signature function.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 16 , the method further comprising: accessing the signature function data stored in the hash table, the signature data including at least one of: an action and a next hop identification.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 17 , the method further comprising: routing the second packet based upon the signature function data, including: routing the second packet to the destination of the first packet.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 18 , the method further comprising: removing the signature function data from the hash table after a pre-determined time interval elapses.

20. A networking system, comprising: a network processor, the network processor including a memory; and control programming configured for causing the processor to execute a hash engine-based method for processing a packet flow, the method including the steps of: receiving a packet of the flow; parsing the packet, extracting fields of the packet, and validating the extracted fields of the packet; determining that the validated fields of the packet are associated with validated fields associated with an earlier received packet of the flow; accessing signature function data stored in a hash table in the memory of the processor, the signature function data corresponding to the validated fields and a determined destination of the earlier received packet of the flow; and routing the packet to the destination based upon the stored signature function data, wherein the signature function data includes at least one of: an action and a next hop identification.