Patent ID: 7209971

Claim:
In a computing device communicatively coupled to a network by a network communication path that includes one or more network protocol stacks and an abstract interface, the abstract interface situated at a relative location within each of the one or more protocol stacks between a transport layer and a data link layer respectively, the abstract interface solely managing access to a communication filter stack for the one or more network protocol stacks, the communication filter stack including one or more communication filter instances configured to perform data filtering operations on data packets being transferred via the one or more network protocol stacks when the data packets are accessed at the abstract interface, a method for inserting a communication filter instance into a communication filter stack without disrupting the operation of the one or more network protocol stacks the abstract interface is situated within so as to conserve processor and network resources, the method comprising: an act of the abstract interface pausing operation of an operational communication filter stack to transition the operational communication filter stack to a paused communication filter stack without disrupting operation of the one or more network protocol stacks; an act of the abstract interface transferring at least one data packet between a transport layer and data link driver of a protocol stack the abstract interface is situated within without performing any data filtering operations on the data packet subsequent to transitioning the operational communication filter stack to a paused communication filter stack and while the paused communication filter stack remains paused; an act of the abstract interface causing a communication filter instance to be inserted into the paused communication filter stack while the one or more network protocol stacks continue to be capable of transferring data between corresponding transport and data link layers; and an act of the abstract interface restarting the paused communication filter stack to transition the paused communication filter stack back into the operational communication filter stack without disrupting operation of the one or more network protocol stacks.