Patent ID: 6233686
Filing Date: 2001-05-15
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A filter for providing peer level access control on a network having a peer with a local rule base, wherein said filter comprises:a. means for accessing a peer's local rule base;b. means for detecting when the peer is authenticated;c. means for loading a rule from the peer's local rule base at the filter when the authentication of the peer is detected;d. means for receiving a packet having a packet identifier, identifying a corresponding local rule, and carrying out the action of the corresponding local rule on the packet while said filter is filtering packets for the peer, ande. a global pre-rule base having a global pre-rule, wherein upon receiving the packet, said filter first searches said global pre-rule base for a rule that corresponds to the packet and carries out the action of the corresponding global pre-rule on the packet, and wherein if no corresponding global pre-rule is identified, the filter searches the local rule base for a rule that corresponds to the packet and carries out the action of the corresponding local rule on the packet.