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Application Layer Packet Shaping on Linux

Posted by michael on from the bofh-made-easy dept.

sommere writes "We have added application layer (layer-7) filtering to Linux. That means that you can set up your linux-router/linux-switch to prioritize mail over the web over kazaa or gnutella regardless of what port each program is using. Colleges have been paying thousands of dollars for packet shapers to prioritize their networks, now you can do it for free. Get your kernel patch at l7-filter.sourceforge.net."

7 of 353 comments (clear)

  1. Good or bad? by SharpFang · · Score: 5, Insightful

    In one hand, >I can prioritize what I want how I want. And it was good.
    In the other hand, my ISP may downgrade my Quake performance or my school may block telnetting to my home box completely (no matter which port I put the demon on). And this was bad.

    The idea is good but I'm worried it will be heavily abused and that worries me. In the other hand, it may mean a neat security tool...

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  2. Re:This will be nice by AndrewNelson · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As long as you don't care about performance.

    (Seriously. A modified PC is more flexible, but it isn't going to beat custom hardware of the same generation. In a few years, though...)

  3. Re:This will be nice by Telastyn · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Except that small-medium businesses don't need big cisco routers. The little ones aren't even $1k these days.

  4. Packets at Layer 7? by Cytlid · · Score: 5, Insightful

    For those of us practicing for our CCNA exams... packets are at layer 3, its known as data at layer 7.

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  5. Re:This will be nice by AndrewNelson · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Certainly, and that's where being able to do this kind of thing in general (Linux routers, packet forwarders, and now level 7 switching) provides an option for people who would like these capabilities but don't want to/can't spring for the high end Cisco/etc gear.

    My comment wasn't intended to be derogatory - this is a nifty project and I'm glad to see it. But I've already seen a few comments (and there will likely be more) talking about how this is going to "kill Cisco" or "pave the way for a linux only datacenter". Such talk is just silly :)

  6. Re:OpenBSD by Otterley · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...except that ALTQ handles layer 3 of the protocol stack, not layer 7. ALTQ is incapable of recognizing the difference between an HTTP session and an SSH session if such a session were established on an arbitrary port.

    ALTQ relies on the fact that well-known services are traditionally bound to assigned ports. The new layer 7 code allows the administrator to eliminate such an assumption.

  7. Re:This will be nice by filledwithloathing · · Score: 5, Insightful
    As long as you don't care about performance.(Seriously. A modified PC is more flexible, but it isn't going to beat custom hardware of the same generation.)
    You'd be suprised how many of those "custom hardware boxes" are really just K6's with 32-64 MB's of ram running custom software.
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