Content search mechanism that uses a deterministic finite automata (DFA) graph, a DFA state machine, and a walker process

摘要

An improved content search mechanism uses a graph that includes intelligent nodes avoids the overhead of post processing and improves the overall performance of a content processing application. An intelligent node is similar to a node in a DFA graph but includes a command. The command in the intelligent node allows additional state for the node to be generated and checked. This additional state allows the content search mechanism to traverse the same node with two different interpretations. By generating state for the node, the graph of nodes does not become exponential. It also allows a user function to be called upon reaching a node, which can perform any desired user tasks, including modifying the input data or position.

主权项

1. A network services processor comprising:
at least one processor configured to process packets in an input stream of packets and match at least one pattern in the input stream by traversing a data structure generated from one or more regular expressions for a content processing application; and at least one memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to store the generated data structure, the generated data structure including at least one node having an intelligent node structure providing information on a next node to traverse and to perform at least one task based on traversing the at least one node, enabling the at least one processor to generate and check state information at the at least one node to obviate a post-processing overhead of the at least one pattern matched, to improve performance of the at least one processor relative to performing post-processing of results for the content processing application.