Patent ID: 7181486

Claim:
A machine-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the acts of: disabling access to at least a first section of computer code in a network driver software interface that is being executed by the processor by overwriting computer code that is executed before the first section of computer code with blocking computer code, wherein the network driver software interface provides for communication between one or more media access control units and one or more protocol drivers in a computer system according to a set of bindings; executing the blocking computer code with the processor; patching the first section of computer code while the blocking computer code of the network driver software interface is being executed by the processor and without stopping complete operation of the network driver software interface, the patching of the first section of code comprising inserting a template jump for forwarding call instructions from the network driver software interface to a template in a rerouting driver, the template comprising new computer code for controlling communications, the template jump and template allowing the rerouting driver to control communication between one or more media access control units and one or more protocol drivers in the computer system; and re-enabling access to the patched first section of computer code by replacing the blocking computer code with the patched first section of computer code.