Patent ID: 7257833
Filing Date: 2007-08-14
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for enforcing a plurality of different policies on a stream of packets, the method comprising: receiving a packet in a packet-switched network; appending an extension to the packet; determining session information regarding the packet; updating the extension with the session information; forwarding the packet to a packet policy rule engine module; determining, at the packet policy rule engine module, whether the packet corresponds to a common condition for a first policy rule and a second policy rule, the first policy rule belonging to a first policy type and the second policy rule belonging to a second policy type that differs from the first policy type; providing, at the packet policy rule engine module, an association between the first packet and the common condition where it is determined that the packet corresponds to the common condition; and updating the extension with the association, wherein communication between modules of said packet-switched network using said extension occurs without use of shared memory.