Patent ID: 6148336
Filing Date: 2000-11-14
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
An extensible service provider for filtering, sorting, and executing plugin network-service providers, the extensible service provider comprising:an upper interface to a higher-level network-socket library, the higher-level network-socket library for providing high-level network functions to high-level user applications by generating a socket for connecting to a remote machine on the network;a lower interface to a network-transport layer, the network-transport layer for formatting data for transmission over a network;a plurality of traffic filters each defining a predetermined socket state for comparing to a current state of the socket;a plugin manager for controlling the plugin network-service providers;a filter manager, coupled to a plurality of traffic filters, for controlling the traffic filters;binding objects, generated at run-time, for binding a plugin network-service provider to a traffic filter;sorting means, coupled to the binding objects, for sorting the binding objects into an execution order based on functions performed by each plugin network-service provider; andexecution means, coupled to the sorting means, for executing the plugin network-service providers in the execution order, the plugin network-service providers operating on the data for transmission over the network,whereby the extensible service provider controls and sorts the plugin network-service providers into the execution order based on functions performed.