Patent ID: 7409707

Claim:
A method of adding a new filter defining a portion of a network policy into a set of installed filters in a framework including a set of active filters and a set of disabled filters, the new filter and each filter in the set of installed filters including a set of filter conditions and a priority class comprising: determining whether at least one installed filter in the set of the installed filters conflicts with the new filter; and if the at least one installed filter in the set of the installed filters conflicts with the new filter: identifying whether the priority class of the new filter is lower than the priority class of the at least one installed filter, wherein the priority class is a function of identity of a user or a process responsible for adding the new filter; if the priority class of the new filter is lower than the priority class of the at least one installed filter, adding the new filter into the set of installed filters as one of the set of disabled filters; and if the priority class of the new filter is higher than the priority class of the at least one installed filter, adding the new filter into the set of installed filters as one of the set of active filters.