Method and apparatus for firewall with multiple addresses
OwnerSteven Michael Bellovininventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention takes advantage of the capability of assigning multiple addresses to a single host to improve the processing performed by a firewall in a packet-switched network. The host utilizes a plurality of addresses to refer to groups of related tasks on the host. When the firewall receives an outbound packet having one of these source addresses, it authorizes further inbound packets addressed to the particular source address.
Claims18
A method of processing packets at a firewall in a packet-switched network comprising:
- receiving an outbound packet from a process group network address;
- and
- authorizing subsequent inbound packet traffic destined for the process group network address.
A method of processing packets at a host which are destined for a firewall in a packet-switched network comprising the steps of:
- assigning a process group network address to a first outbound packet commencing a process;
- transmitting the outbound packet to a firewall on its path to its destination in a packet-switched network;
- receiving inbound packets addressed to the process group network address;
- and
- receiving and associating inbound packets addressed to the process group network address with the process.
A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions for performing a method on a firewall connected to a packet-switched network comprising the steps of:
- receiving an outbound packet from a process group network address;
- and
- authorizing subsequent inbound packet traffic destined for the process group network address.
A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions for performing a method on a host connected to a packet-switched network comprising the steps of:
- assigning a process group network address to a first outbound packet commencing a process;
- transmitting the outbound packet to a firewall on its path to its destination in a packet-switched network;
- receiving inbound packets addressed to the process group network address;
- and
- receiving and associating inbound packets addressed to the process group network address with the process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.