Patent ID: 8561166
Filing Date: 2013-10-15
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of supporting security applications in a switching device connected to a network, said switching device providing connectivity to a plurality of user systems connected to said network, said switching device having a first interface and a second interface, said second interface being coupled in a direction of said network and said first interface being coupled in a direction of external systems with which said plurality of user systems communicate via said switching device, said switching device being designed to protect said user systems from systems external to said network by blocking undesirable packets from said external systems, said method being performed in said switching device, said method comprising: confirming a community to which said switching device belongs and a role to be played by said switching device in said community, said community representing a first set of switching devices including at least said switching device and an another switching device cooperatively implementing a first application by playing either a first role or a second role in said community, wherein said switching device is designed to play one of said first role or second role, while said another switching device plays the other one of said first role and said second role, wherein said switching device and said another switching device are in a sequential path for processing packets such that the packets forwarded by the first switching device in the sequential path are processed by the other switching device, wherein said confirmation of said role to be played by each of said switching device and said another switching device is based on communication between the two devices, wherein said first role and said second role are played by the respective ones of the two switching devices, responsive to said communication; receiving a plurality of packets on said first interface; blocking a first subset of packets according to said first application if said role to be played is said first role and a second subset of packets according to said first application if said role to be played is said second role, wherein each of said first subset of packets and said second subset of packets is contained in said plurality of packets, wherein said first subset of packets is not equal to said second subset of packets and wherein said first role is not identical to said second role; and forwarding those of said plurality of packets which are not blocked by said blocking on said second interface, whereby said switching device is designed to forward different sets of packets for the same application depending on the role to be played by said switching device while switching packets from said first interface to said second interface.