Patent ID: 7302480

Claim:
A method for monitoring the flow of a data stream between a client and a server, wherein the data stream is a connection-oriented carrier protocol, comprising the steps of: analyzing a first data stream traveling from the server to the client in order to identify at least one response descriptor therein, said response descriptor defining a content of an expected request from the client; updating a client-specific set of allowance states associated with said client by storing the identified response descriptors or a descriptor of said expected request in set; forwarding said first data stream to the client associated therewith; subsequently, analyzing a second data stream traveling from the client to the server in order to identify at least one request descriptor therein; comparing said request descriptors with said client-specific set of allowable states; generating a monitoring result responsive to said step of comparing wherein said steps of analyzing the first data stream, updating a client-specific set of allowable states associated with said client, comparing said request descriptors with said client-specific set allowable states, and analyzing the second data stream, are performed at a network node different than said client and said server, and coupled to a communication path between said server and said client; wherein a step of performing a predetermined action at least partially based on the monitoring result; wherein said action comprises allowing the second data stream passage if the request descriptors match the stored response descriptors in the set, and restricting the data stream if at least one request descriptor fails to match the stored response descriptors in the set.