Patent ID: 7746783
Filing Date: 2010-06-29
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for monitoring communication on a network comprising: configuring a classifier using a monitoring profile; receiving a plurality of packets from a network by a physical network interface card operatively connected to a host; analyzing each of the plurality of packets by the classifier to determine which of the plurality of packets satisfies the monitoring profile, wherein a packet satisfies the monitoring profile when the packet originates from a sending system specified in the monitoring profile, the packet is destined for a receiving system specified in the monitoring profile, and the packet is of a type specified in the monitoring profile; forwarding any of the plurality of packets that satisfy the monitoring profile to a first temporary data structure, wherein the first temporary data structure is associated with a first one of a plurality of virtual network interface cards and wherein each of the plurality of virtual network interface cards is associated with a different IP address; forwarding any of the plurality of packets that do not satisfy the monitoring profile to a second temporary data structure; requesting a first number of packets from the first temporary data structure by a first virtual serialization queue, wherein the first virtual serialization queue is associated with the first temporary data structure and the first one of the plurality of virtual network interface cards; forwarding the first number of packets to the first virtual serialization queue using a first virtual protocol stack; and analyzing packets in the first virtual serialization queue by a monitoring program located on the host, wherein the host comprises the plurality of virtual network interface cards, wherein the plurality of virtual network interface cards and the first virtual protocol stack share a common kernel and execute within a common operating system.