Patent ID: 8954957
Filing Date: 2015-02-10
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A network device adapted to process network traffic, the network device comprising: a memory; a first network connection adapted to communicate first network traffic, wherein the first network connection is connected with a first network; a second network connection adapted to communicate second network traffic, wherein the second network connection is connected with a second network; a network traffic processing module connected with the first network connection and the second network connection; a plurality of hosted virtual machines each adapted to execute at least one virtual machine application; a virtual machine data interface connected with the plurality of hosted virtual machines and the network traffic processing module, wherein the virtual machine data interface is adapted to direct a first portion of the first network traffic and a first portion of the second network traffic according to network traffic rule criteria and network traffic rules; a first network traffic tap adapted to direct at least the first portion of the first network traffic between the first network connection and the virtual machine data interface; and a second network traffic tap adapted to direct at least a first portion of the second network traffic between the second network connection and the virtual machine data interface; and at least one intra-module network traffic tap adapted to direct network traffic metadata from the network traffic processing module to the virtual machine data interface, wherein the network traffic metadata includes additional information describing application associated with the network traffic, and wherein the network traffic metadata is communicated to one or more virtual machine applications using an extended non-standard protocol that provides functionality of application programming interface; wherein the virtual machine data interface is adapted to direct the first portion of the first network traffic and the first portion of the second network traffic between the first and second network traffic taps and the plurality of hosted virtual machines; wherein the virtual machine data interface is adapted to direct the network traffic metadata between the intra-module network traffic tap and the plurality of hosted virtual machines.