Patent ID: 8379639
Filing Date: 2013-02-19
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus configured to classify a data stream as belonging to a distinct application in order to facilitate prioritization of traffic of a plurality of distinct applications, the apparatus comprising: a packet selection logic embodied in hardware to identify a plurality of packets of a data stream, wherein the data stream comprises a sequence of packets transmitted from a source device to a destination device and is associated with at least one of a plurality of distinct applications, wherein the data stream is associated with a first application, a second application, and a third application; a set of packet classification logics embodied in hardware, wherein a member of the set of packet classification logics generates a signal as a function of whether an attribute associated with the packets matches an attribute associated with packets generated by an application having been tested to confirm that its behavior conforms to a predefined set of specifications, wherein the tested application is separate from the first application, the second application, and the third application, and wherein members of the set of packet classification logics operate in parallel; and a set of data stream classification logics embodied in hardware, wherein a member of the set of data stream classification logics provides a signal identifying a respective measure of likelihood that the data stream is associated with each of: (i) the first application, (ii) the second application, and (iii) the third application, based, at least in part, on one or more signals from members of the set of packet classification logics; wherein the data stream is identified as having: (i) a first measure of likelihood of belonging to the first application, (ii) a second measure of likelihood of belonging to the second application, and (iii) a third measure of likelihood of belonging to the third application, in order to facilitate prioritization of traffic of the first application relative to traffic of the second application and the third application, wherein each of the measures of likelihood are independent; wherein each of the first application, the second application, and the third application are selected from: (i) a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) application, (ii) a file sharing application, (iii) a file transfer protocol (FTP) application, (iv) an internet browser, (v) a chat application, (vi) a gaming application, (vii) a video application, (viii) an audio application, and (ix) a conferencing application.