Adaptive re-ordering of data packet filter rules

Abstract

A packet data filter which stores ordered rules and sequentially applies the rules to received data packets to determine the disposition of the data packet. The packet filter maintains a match count in memory which indicates the number of times each rule matched an incoming data packet. Periodically, at the initiation of a user, or based on operating parameters of the filter, the rules are automatically re-ordered based on the match count. As a result of the re-ordering, rules with higher match counts are moved earlier in the sequential evaluation order and rules with lower match counts are moved later in the sequential evaluation order. As such, rules which are more likely to match incoming data packets are evaluated earlier, thus avoiding the evaluation of later rules. In order to prevent a re-ordering which would change the overall security policy of the packet filter, pairs of rules are compared to determine if they conflict (i.e., the swapping of the two rules would result in a change in the overall security policy). During re-ordering, the swapping of conflicting rules is prevented.