Patent ID: 8724626
Filing Date: 2014-05-13
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for routing traffic through a network including a plurality of interconnected switching devices, comprising: (a) receiving a packet that includes a header and contents; (b) determining that the packet is in a new data stream, wherein the determining (b) comprises determining that the packet's data stream does not have an entry in a quick lookup table of an access switching device, wherein the quick lookup table maps data streams to particular ports of the access switching device and is separate from a routing table that maps destination subnets to particular ports of the access switching device; (c) determining that a rule in a plurality of rules correlates to the contents of the packet; (d) determining a destination for the packet based on the rule; (e) determining a label to attach to the packet, the label indicating to the plurality of interconnected switching devices how to route data to the destination; and (f) attaching the label to respective packets in the new data stream to direct the new data stream to the destination determined based on the rule and the contents.