Patent ID: 9210103
Filing Date: 2015-12-08
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of processing a packet in a network device, the method comprising: receiving a packet at an ingress port of the network device; generating a metadata set for the packet, wherein the metadata set includes data determined for the packet by the network device; populating, with data (i) included in or associated with the packet and (ii) selected according to user configuration information, a set of user defined bytes corresponding to the packet, wherein populating the set of user defined bytes includes populating one or more user defined bytes, in the set of user defined bytes, with data from the metadata set; selecting, from the populated set of user defined bytes, one or more user defined bytes to be used in a key for the packet; generating the key using the selected user defined bytes and according to an ordering of the selected user defined bytes specified for the key; determining, based on the key, a processing action for the packet; and processing, by the network device, the packet using the processing action.