Patent ID: 9467385
Filing Date: 2016-10-11
CPC Classification: H04L

Claim Text:
1. A method for configuring and operating a network tool optimizer for cloud-based networks, comprising: allowing configuration of one or more master filters to determine how packets from a cloud network are forwarded to a plurality of virtual ports, each virtual port being associated with a different user of cloud resources within the cloud network; allowing configuration of a plurality of sets of one or more user filters, each set of one or more user filters being associated with a different user of cloud resources within the cloud network and determining how packets from a virtual port associated with that user are forwarded to one or more output ports for the network tool optimizer; generating rules for filter engines based upon the one or more master filters and the plurality of sets of one or more user filters with conflicts between the master filters and user filters being resolved in favor of the master filters; applying the rules to the filter engines within the network tool optimizer; receiving packets from the cloud network at one or more input ports for the network tool optimizer; and forwarding the received packets to one or more output ports for the network tool optimizer using the filter engines so that packet traffic for each user is forwarded based at least in part upon the set of one or more user filters for that user; wherein the allowing steps comprise providing a master user interface to allow configuration of the master filters and providing one or more user interfaces to allow configuration of the user filters, the one or more user interfaces comprising a separate user interface for each user; and wherein the master user interface displays filter information only for master filters between one or more input ports and the plurality of virtual ports, and wherein the one or more user interfaces display filter information only for user filters between the plurality of virtual ports and one or more output ports.