Patent ID: 8045458

Claim:
A computer implemented network traffic prioritization method comprising: receiving a plurality of network traffic streams, the network traffic streams comprising data communicated between sender devices and recipient devices; parsing the network traffic streams based upon one or more transmission protocols associated with the network traffic streams, the parsing being operable to identify data packets respectively associated with the traffic streams; applying a plurality of tests to the data packets, each of the plurality of tests being operable to test the data packets for a classification characteristic; generating a results array comprising results from each of the classification characteristics identified by the plurality of tests; classifying each of the data packets into one or more classifications from a plurality of classifications based upon the results array; deriving reputations associated with a plurality of originating or destination entities associated with the network traffic streams; and prioritizing the network traffic streams associated with the data packets based upon a prioritization scheme that is based at least in part upon a reputation of the associated originating or destination entity, the prioritization scheme being based on the one or more classifications associated with the data packet.