Patent ID: 8923159
Filing Date: 2014-12-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for processing data being carried over a network, the apparatus comprising: an input for receiving data from the network; a first processing engine with access to the input to determine a source and a destination for received data and to associate the received data with at least one of a flow, a peer and a host communication; a second processing engine with access to the input for performing a comparison of received data with one or more predetermined patterns; wherein said first and second processing engines are arranged to update state data relating to the associated flow, peer or host communication and, further, to generate metadata in respect of the received data, the metadata comprising results of processing the received data by one or both of the first and second processing engines; the apparatus further comprising at least one rule engine configured to receive and process the metadata and the updated state data of the associated flow, peer or host communication and to generate an output; and at least one selection engine configured to receive and process the rule engine output to determine whether received data relating to a flow, peer or host communication are to be processed further, wherein the first and second processing engines, the at least one rule engine and the at least one selection engine are implemented in system hardware or firmware.