Patent ID: 6381242
Filing Date: 2002-04-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A content processor for scanning data packets on a data network, each data packet having contents, the content processor comprising:a content scanning engine able to scan the contents, including a header and a payload, of the data packets, the content scanning engine including a memory storing signatures in a signature database wherein the content scanning engine first determines a potential match with one of the signatures from the signature database for the contents of the data packet, and second, determines whether the potential match and the contents of the data packet match exactly, wherein the content scanning engine generates a conclusion based on the results of its scanning; a queuing engine including a reordering and reassembly engine for reordering out of sequence data packets and reassembling fragmented data packets, such that the content scanning engine is able to scan complete data packets in order, the queuing engine also referencing a session id which associates each data packet with a particular session; and a context engine receiving the data packets, including the reordered and reassembled data packets, from the queuing engine and operable to schedule the data packets, including the reordered and reassembled data packets, to be scanned by the content scanning engine, the context engine including a session memory able to maintain a state across each particular session.