Patent ID: 7646728
Filing Date: 2010-01-12
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A peer-to-peer communication management method, comprising: intercepting a network packet in route from a source to a destination; releasing the network packet to the destination if the network packet is identified as belonging to a first class of protocols, else; comparing selected portions of the network packet against a plurality of predefined templates, each of said templates being associated with one of a specified plurality of peer-to-peer protocols; identifying, based on the act of comparing, the network packet as being strongly or weakly associated with one of the specified plurality of peer-to-peer protocols; preventing the network packet from arriving at the destination if the packet is identified as strongly associated with one of the specified plurality of peer-to-peer protocols; and recording information about the network packet if the network packet is identified as weakly associated with one of the specified plurality of peer-to-peer protocols and, thereafter, releasing the network packet to the destination.