Patent ID: 8139483

Claim:
A network traffic control unit, comprising a computer program product including a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer processor, are configured to provide: a filter unit for intercepting messages relating to peer-to-peer application, from a network line, irrespective of destination, and a control logic that is configured for managing a request represented by an intercepted message subject to its content and subject to peering specific information the network traffic control unit provides, which request to be managed is an intercepted connect request issued from a first peer node and directed to a second peer node; wherein managing the intercepted connect request comprises: dropping the intercepted connect request; in the event the peering specific information comprises a connection that is already established that can serve or be extended to serve the intercepted connect request, sending a second connect request by the network traffic control unit to the first peer node in response to the intercepted connect request, and sending no message to the second peer node by the network traffic control unit; and in the event the peering specific information does not comprise a connection that is already established that can serve or be extended to serve the intercepted connect request, sending a third connect request by the network traffic control unit to the second peer node pretending the first peer node is sending the third connect request.