Patent ID: 8161145
Filing Date: 2012-04-17
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method implemented in a programmable device for managing attacks in a computer system, the computer system used in sending, receiving, or sending and receiving a plurality of packets, the plurality of packets comprising a plurality of administrative packets and a plurality of data packets, the method comprising the steps of: determining periodically in the programmable device whether a congestion of the administrative packets exists based on determining that a suspicious randomness exists, the congestion of the administrative packets indicating that a potential attack exists, and wherein determining whether the suspicious randomness exists comprises the steps of: responsive to determining that the congestion of the administrative packets exists, continuously discarding via the programmable device a number of the plurality of administrative packets until a remaining number of the plurality of administrative packets transmitted is not more than a set maximum administrative packet bandwidth limit and is not less than a set minimum administrative packet bandwidth guarantee, the number of the plurality of administrative packets being determined by the programmable device based on the set maximum administrative packet bandwidth limit and the set minimum administrative packet bandwidth guarantee, such that the number of the plurality of administrative packets to be discarded is rapidly increased driving a rate of transmitted administrative packets to at or below the maximum administrative packet bandwidth limit; and responsive to determining that the congestion of the administrative packets does not exist and that there is excess bandwidth available, linearly increasing the number of transmitted administrative packets until a limit is reached.