Deep Packet Inspection Technology | Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) is a leading technology used to detect and validate the protocols and applications transmitted over IP networks. It enables application-level visibility by inspecting both packet headers and payloads across multiple packet exchanges. Additional capabilities, such as network-based learning, make it possible to identify more advanced or dynamic applications. BSL uses several signature analysis techniques to achieve this, including:
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Multiple Analysis Methods | A wide range of inspection and analysis techniques are used to accurately pinpoint individual applications and protocols—covering everything from basic traffic observation to in-depth, session-level inspection of encrypted flows. By combining statistical methods with behavioral analytics, detection accuracy is significantly enhanced. This approach minimizes the volume of unknown traffic, even when the network is operating at full capacity. Typical metrics examined during analysis include connection patterns, the frequency of new connections, variations in packet sizes, the total number of packets exchanged within a session, and other flow-level characteristics. |
Hitless Signature Library Updates | Signature updates are applied seamlessly, allowing traffic flows to be detected and classified without any interruption. DPI continues operating normally even as its protocol database is refreshed, ensuring that all surrounding systems remain untouched. The update process is completely automated and takes place without causing any disruption to system performance or overall network activity. |
Predictive DPI (PDPI) | “Predictive DPI” (PDPI) is a technique that identifies services by leveraging previously observed session data associated with a specific server. With BSL’s PDPI capability, users can mark selected services or protocols for learning, allowing the system to analyze their historical patterns and anticipate their use. As a result, the BSL Service Gateway can recognize and direct traffic for these services from the very first packet. |
Data Records Collection and Export | BSL’s in-line platforms produce multiple categories of data records, which are gathered by the BSL NetXplorer Data Collector. These records feed NetXplorer’s reporting and accounting functions, and can also be exported when needed—for example, to integrate with a service provider’s external business intelligence or data warehouse systems. |
IPv6/IPv4 Dual Stack Support | “Dual Stack” is the traditional approach for IPv4 and IPv6 to coexist. It simply implies supporting both IPv4 and IPv6 at the same time. BSL manages dual stack subscribers with IPv4 and IPv6 addresses using a uniform QoS policy. |
Tunneling Protocols Support | BSL systems enable a wide range of transportation tunnels, including the most common and complex tunneling protocols. BSL supports many tunneling protocols, including MPLS, IEEE 802.1q (VLAN), IEEE 802.1ad (QinQ), PPPOE, PPP, TEREDO, IP_IP, GRE, IPv4 in IPv4, GTP, and IPv4 in IPv6, and vice versa. |
User Defined Signature | The User Defined Signature (UDS) is an advanced service object that allows system administrators to define signatures for particular HTTP traffic by utilizing any of the HTTP header fields. Once specified, the new UDS can function as a policy element. On HTTPS, UDS can be setup for the “server name” field, which is unencrypted and identical to the HTTP host name. |
Hierarchical Enforcement Policy | In-line systems classify traffic and enforce traffic policies in a hierarchical manner, using line, pipe, and virtual channels. The traffic that passes via these devices is divided into multiple predetermined lines. Each line is then separated into pipes, which further divide into virtual channels. Each line, pipe, or virtual channel follows its own set of criteria and regulations. |
Quality of Service (QoS) – Access Control | The BSL in-line platforms’ QoS engine determines whether to accept, discard, or skip each data frame based on operator specifications. |
Quality of Service (QoS) – Maximum Bandwidth | When a maximum bandwidth value is set, traffic that is equal to or less than the maximum rate is permitted to travel across the network. The maximum bandwidth rate may apply to both inbound and outgoing traffic, or may vary. |
Quality of Service (QoS) – Minimum Bandwidth | Setting a minimum bandwidth for certain traffic ensures that it receives at least the minimum bandwidth required. |
Quality of Service (QoS) – Priority | BSL Service Gateways’ priority enforcement guarantees that bandwidth is allocated intelligently during moments of network congestion. During peak traffic, the in-line platform limits the pace of lower priority applications, allowing higher priority apps to get more bandwidth. |
Quality of Service (QoS) – Best Effort Priority Mechanism | BSL’s improved QoS mechanism additionally offers “Best Effort” priority in line, pipe, and virtualized channel advanced QoS catalogs. If items at the exact same policy level (for example, pipes) are set to “best effort” prioritizing, the BSL QoS mechanism will not be used. Typically, bandwidth is BSLted based on the quantity of traffic each item receives. |
Quality of Service (QoS) – Drop Precedence | Any packet that is not transferred to a network is either discarded or buffered. The drop precedence value defines the packet’s priority before deciding whether or not to buffer it. The drop precedence is critical for effective control of heavy traffic protocols such as peer-to-peer. Packets that have larger drop precedence values are deleted before those with lower drop precedence values. BSL’s upgraded QoS engine use the conventional WRED method to achieve this decision. |
Quality of Service (QoS) – Assured Forwarding | BSL’s upgraded QoS engine supports RFC 2597 (guaranteed forwarding) by supporting four degrees of priority and three levels of drop precedence (available at the virtual channel level). This aligns with the 12 levels of service outlined in the assured forwarding RFC. |
Quality of Service (QoS) – Expedited Forwarding | BSL’s improved QoS engine offers “expedited forwarding,” a standard technique that provides a first-class transport service level for real-time traffic that is loss-sensitive, delay-sensitive, and jitter-sensitive. It can also manage traffic surges well. Expedited forwarding allows operators to assure quality of experience for real-time applications like VoIP and video conferencing services. BSL implements this functionality in compliance with RFC 2598. |
Quality of Service (QoS) – Orthogonal QoS Policy | The Orthogonal QoS Policy allows network operators to set two rules, primary and secondary, that are unrelated to one another (Orthogonal), allowing network traffic to be regulated in two distinct ways. The network operator can activate secondary policies and choose the sequence of execution (internal to external or external to internal). |
Command Line Interface | A secure command line interface (CLI) provides access to every BSL in-line platform. The CLI configures basic platform parameters and enables troubleshooting. |
SNMP Interface | BSL in-line platforms use conventional SNMP agents that interact over SNMP V1/V2 or V3 and keep standard MIB-II information along with BSL’s MIB extensions. These MIB extensions keep track of the device’s status, alerts, and statistics. The SNMP agent allows BSL in-line systems to be remotely setup and operated, and it includes the ability to establish traps on significant KPI values. |
Compatibility | All functions should function successfully on the BSL Operating System with Service Gateways. |
Monitoring | The solution should be able to monitor use and traffic metadata in real time and present information in a centralized management system at varying time granularity. The historical information stored at different time granularities should be customizable. |
Export | The data may be shown using various visualizations and exported outside as a CSV. |
Command Line Interface | A secure command line interface (CLI) provides access to every BSL in-line platform. The CLI is used to set basic platform settings and facilitate platform troubleshooting. |
SNMP Interface | BSL in-line solutions use conventional SNMP servers that interact over SNMP V1/V2 or V3 and keep regular MIB-II information along with BSL’s MIB customizations. These MIB extensions keep track of the device’s status, statistics, and alerts. The SNMP agent allows for remote configuration and management of BSL in-line platforms, as well as trapping of key performance indicators (KPIs). |
Compatibility | All the functionalities should operate effectively on top of BSL Operating System (AOS) utilizing Service Gateways |
