Patent ID: 8789180
Filing Date: 2014-07-22
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: processing a packet flow with a network device to identify a first application-layer communication protocol associated with the packet flow and a second application-layer communication protocol that is using the first application-layer communication protocol as a data transport within the packet flow, wherein each of the first application-layer communication protocol and the second application-layer communication protocol comprises an independent application-layer communication protocol; after identification of the first application-layer communication protocol and the second application-layer communication protocol, dynamically constructing, based on the identification, a stack comprising an ordered arrangement of two or more application-layer decoders, each of the application-layer decoders configured to extract application-layer data from packet data conforming to a respective communication protocol; applying, with the network device, the stack of the application-layer decoders to the packet flow in accordance with the ordered arrangement to extract first application-layer data for the first application-layer communication protocol and to extract second application-layer data that is encapsulated within the first application-layer data in accordance with the second application-layer communication protocol; inspecting, with the network device, the second application-layer data; and executing a programmed action with the network device in response to the inspection of the second application-layer data.