Patent ID: 7188164
Filing Date: 2007-03-06
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for integrating non-homogenous intermediate devices to create common filtering across selected intermediate devices in a communications network having a plurality of computers interconnected therein, including at least two intermediate devices for routing electronic communication between other computers, wherein each of said at least two intermediate devices have an access control list contained in a file in memory available to said intermediate device which are used by said intermediate devices to filter said electronic communications, each said access control list having a format and a plurality of filtering parameters, comprising the steps of: a) Identifying the filter parameters of each access control list of non-homogenous devices included in said selected intermediate devices; b) Identifying common filter parameters which are common to all of the access control lists associated with the selected intermediate devices; c) Generating paradigm access control lists for each selected intermediate device using said common filter parameters in a format including said common filter parameters; d) Using said Paradigm Access Control parameters to create a common paradigm access control list for all selected intermediate devices from one or more paradigm access control lists from one or more non-homogeneous intermediate devices.