US 12,463,942 B2
Rule swapping in a packet network
David K. Ahn, Winston-Salem, NC (US); Steven Rogers, Leesburg, VA (US); and Sean Moore, Hollis, NH (US)
Assigned to Centripetal Networks, LLC, Portsmouth, NH (US)
Filed by Centripetal Networks, LLC, Portsmouth, NH (US)
Filed on Dec. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/086,974.
Application 18/086,974 is a continuation of application No. 17/859,156, filed on Jul. 7, 2022, granted, now 11,539,665.
Application 17/859,156 is a continuation of application No. 16/892,424, filed on Jun. 4, 2020, granted, now 11,502,996, issued on Nov. 15, 2022.
Application 16/892,424 is a continuation of application No. 16/744,341, filed on Jan. 16, 2020, granted, now 10,681,009, issued on Jun. 9, 2020.
Application 16/744,341 is a continuation of application No. 16/357,855, filed on Mar. 19, 2019, granted, now 10,541,972, issued on Jan. 21, 2020.
Application 16/357,855 is a continuation of application No. 15/610,995, filed on Jun. 1, 2017, granted, now 10,284,522, issued on May 7, 2019.
Application 15/610,995 is a continuation of application No. 14/921,718, filed on Oct. 23, 2015, granted, now 9,674,148, issued on Jun. 6, 2017.
Application 14/921,718 is a continuation of application No. 13/739,178, filed on Jan. 11, 2013, granted, now 9,203,806, issued on Dec. 1, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2023/0208811 A1, Jun. 29, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04L 9/40 (2022.01); G06N 5/02 (2023.01); H04L 41/16 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 63/0263 (2013.01) [G06N 5/02 (2013.01); H04L 41/16 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
configuring a packet filtering device to process packets in accordance with a first set of packet filtering rules;
receiving, by the packet filtering device, a first plurality of packets after configuring the packet filtering device to process packets in accordance with the first set of packet filtering rules;
beginning processing, by the packet filtering device, the first plurality of packets in accordance with the first set of packet filtering rules;
receiving, by the packet filtering device, a second set of packet filtering rules;
preprocessing, by the packet filtering device and during processing of the first plurality of packets in accordance with the first set of packet filtering rules, the second set of packet filtering rules by performing operations on the second set of packet filtering rules, prior to the second set of packet filtering rules being implemented on the packet filtering device, to optimize performance of the packet filtering device, wherein the packet filtering device does not process packets using the second set of packet filtering rules while preprocessing the second set of packet filtering rules;
in response to receiving a signal to process packets in accordance with the second set of packet filtering rules:
ceasing processing, by the packet filtering device, of the first plurality of packets, wherein a first portion of the first plurality of packets has completed processing in accordance with the first set of packet filtering rules and a second portion of the first plurality of packets has not completed processing in accordance with the first set of packet filtering rules;
temporarily storing, by the packet filtering device, the second portion of the first plurality of packets;
reconfiguring the packet filtering device to process packets in accordance with the second set of packet filtering rules; and
responsive to receiving one or more signals indicating that reconfiguration of the packet filtering device to process packets in accordance with the second set of packet filtering rules has completed, processing, by the packet filtering device, the second portion of the first plurality of packets and a second plurality of unprocessed packets in accordance with the second set of packet filtering rules.