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EP0856974A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Session cache and rule caching method for a dynamic filter

Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1998-01-07
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2018-01-07
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Abstract

Abstract A cache for use with a network filter that receives, stores and ejects local rule bases dynamically. The cache stores a rule that was derived from a rule base in the filter. The cache rule is associated in the cache with a rule base indicator indicating from which rule base the cache rule was derived, and a rule base version number indicating the version of the rule base from which the cache rule was derived. When the filter receives a packet, the cache is searched for a rule applicable to a received packet. If no such rule is found, the filter rule base is found, and an applicable rule is carried out and copied to the cache along with a rule base indicator and version number. If a cache rule is found, it is implemented if its version number matches the version number of the rule base from which it was derived. Otherwise, the cache rule is deleted. The cache provides an efficient way of accurately implementing the rules of a dynamic rule base without having to search the entire rule base for each packet. <IMAGE>

Inventors

  • 👤 Daniel N. Zenchelsky
  • 👤 Partha P. Dutta
  • 👤 Thomas B. London
  • 👤 Dalibor F. Vrsalovic
  • 👤 Karl Andres Sül

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 21:44
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L63/00; H04L63/02; H04L63/0227; H04L63/0254; H04L63/0263

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim 62 words
A cache for a dynamic filter, the dynamic filter including a rule base having at least one rule base version number associated therewith, said cache comprising a storage medium having stored therein a cache entry having a cache key, a cache action, and a cache version number, said cache entry derived from a rule in a rule base of the dynamic filter.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 28 words
The cache of claim 1, wherein said cache key is a network source address, a network destination address, a source port, a destination port, and a protocol identifier.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 13 words
The cache of claim 1, wherein said cache key is a circuit identifier.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 14 words
The cache of claim 1, wherein said cache action is either PASS or DROP.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 26 words
The cache of claim 1, wherein said cache entry further includes a rule base indicator that indicates from which rule base said session entry is derived.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 162 words
A method for providing peer-level access control on a network that carries packets of information having packet identification data, said method using a dynamic filter having a cache that stores a cache entry having a cache key, a cache version number, a cache action and a rule base indicator, the cache entry derived from at least one rule having a rule key and rule action in at least one rule base, said method comprising: a. receiving a packet; b. searching the cache to identify a cache entry having a cache key that corresponds to he identification data of the received packet; c. if a corresponding cache entry is identified and if the rule base indicator of the cache entry indicates that the cache entry was derived from a rule base having associated therewith a rule base version number: i. determining if the cache entry version number corresponds to the version number of the rule base from which the cache entry was derived.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 45 words
The method of claim 6, step c further comprising the step of: ii. carrying out the cache action of the corresponding cache entry if the cache entry version number corresponds to the version number of the rule base from which the cache entry was derived.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 134 words
The method of claim 6, step c further comprising the step of: ii. if the cache entry version number does not correspond to the version number of the rule base from which the cache entry was derived, searching at least one rule base of the filter to identify a corresponding rule that corresponds to the identification data of the received packet; iii. if a corresponding rule is identified, carrying out the action of the corresponding rule; iv. storing a cache entry derived from the corresponding rule, the cache entry comprising the identification data of the received packet, the action prescribed by the corresponding rule and carried out on said packet in step iii, and a rule base indicator that indicates the rule base of the corresponding rule from which the cache entry was derived.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 46 words
The method of claim 8, further Comprising the step of: v. If a rule base version number is associated with the rule base of the corresponding rule, storing the rule base version number as the cache entry version number of the cache entry of step iv.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 55 words
The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of: ii. ejecting the corresponding cache entry from the cache if the cache entry version number does not correspond to the rule base version number of the rule base of the rule from which the cache entry was derived, as indicated by the rule base indicator.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 94 words
The method of claim 6, wherein if a corresponding cache entry is identified and if the rule base indicator indicates that the cache entry was derived from a rule of a global rule base, further comprising the steps of: i. determining if the cache entry version number corresponds to the global rule base version number of the global rule base of the rule from which the cache entry was derived; ii. deleting all cache entries from the cache if the cache entry version number does not correspond to the global rule base version number.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 34 words
The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of: iii. carrying out the cache action of the cache entry if the cache entry version number corresponds to the global rule base version number.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 154 words
A cache for a dynamic filter, the dynamic filter including a rule in a rule base, said cache having a cache entry, said cache comprising: a. means for receiving a packet having identification data; b. means for searching said cache to identify a cache entry that corresponds to the identification data of the received packet; c. means for carrying out an action on the received packet as prescribed by a corresponding cache entry of step b whose version number corresponds to the version number of the rule base from which the cache entry was derived; d. means for carrying out an action on the received packet as prescribed by a rule that corresponds to the identification data of the received packet if there is no corresponding cache entry or if the version number of the cache entry does not correspond to the version number of the rule base from which the rule was derived.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 34 words
The cache of claim 13, further comprising: e. means for ejecting a cache entry whose version number does not correspond to the version number of the rule base from which the entry was derived.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 51 words
The cache of claim 13, further comprising: e. means for storing a cache entry, the cache entry comprising the identification data of the received packet, the action carried out on said packet in step d, and a rule base indicator that indicates from which rule base the cache entry was derived.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 51 words
The cache of claim 15, further comprising: f. means for storing a rule base version number as the cache entry version number of the cache entry of step e, if a rule base version number is associated with the rule base of the rule from which the cache entry was derived.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 114 words
Computer readable medium having a computer program encoded thereon, comprising: a. a first portion of said medium having a first program segment for receiving a packet having identification data over a computer network; b. a second portion of said medium having a second program segment for searching a cache to identify a cache entry having a cache key that corresponds to the identification data of the received packet; c. a third portion of said medium having a third program segment for determining if the cache entry version number of a corresponding cache entry identified by said second portion corresponds to the version number of the rule base from which the cache entry was derived.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 63 words
The cache of claim 17, further comprising: d. a fourth portion of said medium having a fourth program segment for carrying out the action of a corresponding cache entry whose cache key corresponds to the identification data of the received packet and whose cache entry version number corresponds to the version number of the rule base from which the cache entry was derived.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 80 words
The cache of claim 18, further comprising: e. a fifth portion of said medium having a fifth program segment for searching a filter rule base to identify a rule having a rule key that corresponds `to the identification data of the received packet if no corresponding cache entry was identified, or if the cache entry version number of a corresponding cache entry does not correspond to the version number of the rule base from which the cache entry was derived.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 36 words
The cache of claim 19, further comprising: f. a sixth portion of said medium having a sixth program segment for carrying out the action of a corresponding rule identified by said fifth segment of said medium.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 69 words
The cache of claim 20, further comprising: g. a seventh portion of said medium having a seventh program segment for storing a cache entry comprising the identification data of the received packet, the action prescribed by a corresponding rule and carried out by said sixth portion of said medium, and a rule base indicator indicating the rule base of the corresponding rule from which the cache entry was derived.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 51 words
The cache of claim 21, further comprising: h. an eighth portion of said medium having an eighth program segment for deleting a cache entry from the cache when the cache entry version number does not correspond to the version number of the rule base from which the cache entry was derived.

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