Patent ID: 6625152
Filing Date: 2003-09-23
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method for transferring data from a client host to a server host, the data residing in a data structure having (i) a device identifier that uniquely identifies the server host among multiple server hosts and (ii) a filter index that is different than the device identifier, the method comprising the steps of:receiving the data structure in a first filtering data communications device; transferring the data structure from the first filtering data communications device to the server host when the filter index of the data structure complies with a first set of filtering criteria residing in the first filtering data communications device; and preventing transfer of the data structure from the first filtering data communications device to the server host when the filter index of the data structure does not comply with the first set of filtering criteria, wherein content of the first set of filtering criteria residing in the first filtering data communications device is coordinated with a second set of filtering criteria residing in a second filtering data communications device that is capable of transferring the data structure to the server host such that at most one filtering data communications device transfers the data structure to the server host.