Efficient classification, manipulation, and control of network transmissions by associating network flows with rule based functions

摘要

A computer connected to one or more networks through appropriate network interfaces is used to classify, manipulate, and/or control communications, e.g., packets sent and/or received over the network by one or more applications executing in the computer. Each application is connected to the network through one or more sockets to enable this communication. The computer also comprises one or more rule sets of one or more rules. A socket set of one or more of the sockets is associated with only one of the rule sets. The rules in the rule set are used to control one or more of the packets communicated by the applications communicating over the socket(s) associated with the respective rule set. Rules can be added to the rule set, deleted from the rule set, or modified in order to classify, manipulate, and/or control the communication of the packets, e.g. to control the rate at which the packets are sent or to provide certain security functions.