Patent ID: 7249228

Claim:
A method for identifying a combined ordering of masks corresponding to a plurality of access control lists (ACLs), the plurality of ACLs including n ACLs, with n being an integer greater than one, the method comprising: identifying a required ordering of masks for each of the plurality of ACLs; generating an n-dimensional array wherein each axis of the n-dimensional array corresponds to masks in their said requisite order of a different one of the plurality of ACLs, the n-dimensional array progressively identifying numbers of different masks required for subset orderings of masks required for subsets of the plurality of ACLs; and traversing the n-dimensional array to identify a sequence of masks corresponding to a single ordering of masks including masks required for each of the plurality of ACLs, wherein the single ordering of masks maintains the ordering of masks required for each of the plurality of ACLs with one or more masks corresponding to a different ACL or other feature in between one or more consecutive masks of an ACL of the plurality of ACLs.