Systems and methods for monitoring and securing networks using a shared buffer

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for securing a network including one or more network nodes connecting a plurality of network connected devices of the network. A method may include: receiving and temporarily storing a plurality of data packets in a shared buffer of a network node; receiving requests from a first processing engine and a second processing engine to access a temporarily stored data packet; generating a first pointer and a second pointer to the temporarily stored data packet, the second pointer being different from the first pointer while pointing to the same temporarily stored data packet; and enabling the first processing engine to use the generated first pointer to access the temporarily stored data packet and the second processing engine to use the generated second pointer to access the temporarily stored data packet.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 establishing a first connection between a first processing engine and a shared buffer;   generating a first pointer to a data packet in the shared buffer using the established first connection;
 establishing a second connection between a second processing engine and the shared buffer; and 
   generating a second pointer to the data packet using the established second connection, the second pointer being different from the first pointer,   wherein the first processing engine is able to use the generated first pointer to access the data packet while the second processing engine uses the generated second pointer to access the data packet.   
     
     
         22 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the shared buffer is a shared circular buffer. 
     
     
         23 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 establishing a third connection between a third processing engine and the shared buffer; and   generating a third pointer to the data packet using the established third connection.   
     
     
         24 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 receiving a message regarding the data packet from one or more of the first processing engine or the second processing engine.   
     
     
         25 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 processing the data packet based on the received message, wherein processing the data packet includes one or more of dropping the data packet from the shared buffer, routing the data packet from the shared buffer, or modifying the data packet; and   notifying one or more of the first processing engine, the second processing engine, or a controller regarding the processed data packet.   
     
     
         26 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the first processing engine is in a network node. 
     
     
         27 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the shared buffer is in a first network node, and the second processing engine is in a second network node. 
     
     
         28 . An apparatus comprising:
 a data storage device storing processor-readable instructions; and   one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to perform a method including:
 establishing a first connection between a first processing engine and a shared buffer; 
 generating a first pointer to a data packet in the shared buffer using the established first connection;
 establishing a second connection between a second processing engine and the shared buffer; and 
 generating a second pointer to the data packet using the established second connection, the second pointer being different from the first pointer, 
 
 wherein the first processing engine is able to use the generated first pointer to access the data packet while the second processing engine uses the generated second pointer to access the data packet. 
   
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the shared buffer is a shared circular buffer. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured for:
 establishing a third connection between a third processing engine and the shared buffer; and   generating a third pointer to the data packet using the established third connection.   
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured for:
 receiving a message regarding the data packet from one or more of the first processing engine or the second processing engine.   
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured for:
 processing the data packet based on the received message, wherein processing the first data packet includes one or more of dropping the data packet from the shared buffer, routing the data packet from the shared buffer, or modifying the data packet; and   notifying one or more of the first processing engine, the second processing engine, or a controller regarding the processed data packet.   
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the apparatus includes the first processing engine. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the apparatus includes the shared buffer, and a remote apparatus includes the second processing engine. 
     
     
         35 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
 establishing a first connection between a first processing engine and a shared buffer;   generating a first pointer to a data packet in the shared buffer using the established first connection;
 establishing a second connection between a second processing engine and the shared buffer; and 
   generating a second pointer to the data packet using the established second connection, the second pointer being different from the first pointer,   wherein the first processing engine is able to use the generated first pointer to access the data packet while the second processing engine uses the generated second pointer to access the data packet.   
     
     
         36 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the shared buffer is a shared circular buffer. 
     
     
         37 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , the method further comprising:
 establishing a third connection between a third processing engine and the shared buffer; and   generating a third pointer to the data packet using the established third connection.   
     
     
         38 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , the method further comprising:
 receiving a message regarding the data packet from one or more of the first processing engine or the second processing engine.   
     
     
         39 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 38 , the method further comprising:
 processing the data packet based on the received message, wherein processing the first data packet includes one or more of dropping the data packet from the shared buffer, routing the data packet from the shared buffer, or modifying the data packet; and   notifying one or more of the first processing engine, the second processing engine, or a controller regarding the processed data packet.   
     
     
         40 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the first processing engine is a first network node, and the second processing engine is a second network node.