Patent ID: 8209420

Claim:
A method for managing a first TCP connection between a first computer and a second computer, comprising: maintaining the first TCP connection in an ESTABLISHED state with the second computer, wherein the first TCP connection is associated with a first set of sequence and acknowledgment numbers; receiving a SYN message from an unidentified computer, wherein the SYN message is associated with a second set of sequence and acknowledgment numbers that don't match the first set of sequence and acknowledgment numbers; creating a record representing a new TCP connection in a PENDING state with the unidentified computer, wherein the new TCP connection is associated with the second set of sequence and acknowledgment numbers; sending a SYN/ACK message to the unidentified computer; advancing the new TCP connection to a SYN-RECEIVED state; receiving an ACK message from the unidentified computer, wherein the ACK message is associated with a third set of sequence and acknowledgment numbers; determining whether the third set matches the first set or the second set; if the third set matches the first set, verifying the first TCP connection and deleting the record; and if the third set matches the second set, replacing the first TCP connection in a connection table with the new TCP connection.