Patent ID: 8015303
Filing Date: 2011-09-06
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of processing data in a stateful protocol processing system (“SPPS”), including a plurality of protocol processing cores (“PPCs”), that processes a multiplicity of flows of messages, each flow being associated with a uniquely corresponding flow identification (“FID”) that is conveyed by messages belonging to such flow, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of messages belonging to a particular flow of the multiplicity of flows; deriving a plurality of SPPS events associated with the particular flow from the received messages; determining an event type of at least one of the SPPS events of the plurality of derived SPPS events; determining whether the derived SPPS events belong to a flow for which one of the PPCs is presently assigned before selecting one of the PPCs to process the derived event; specifically assigning a first PPC selected from among the plurality of PPCs compatible with the event type to process one or more events of the particular flow in accordance with a stateful protocol (SP) of the particular flow; wherein if it is determined that the at least one of the SPPS events belongs to the flow for which one of the plurality of PPCs is assigned, processing incoming events that will affect a state of a corresponding flow through the determined one of the PPCs, and wherein events of a combination of different flows are currently assigned to the first PPC; and specifically assigning a different second PPC to process one or more other events of the particular flow in accordance with the SP of the particular flow; wherein subsequent events of one of the combination of different flows is assigned to the second PPC while the first PPC processed events of another of the combination of different flow; and transferring the events assigned to the first PPC to the first PPC and transferring the events assigned to the second PPC to the second PPC.