# US 7,610,400 B2 · Rule-based networking device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,610,400 B2 - Document ID: US7610400B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/996,871 - Filed: 2004-11-23 - Published: 2006-05-25 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2004-11-23 - Assignees: Juniper Networks, Inc. - Inventors: Israel L'Heureux; Steve Malmskog - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610400B2 ## CPC - H04L 67/561: Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata - H04L 67/564: Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data - H04L 67/565: Conversion or adaptation of application format or content (adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561) - H04L 67/02: based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] - H04L 67/306: User profiles - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A networking system, device, and method are provided. The networking device typically includes a user-defined ruleset including HTTP request rules and HTTP response rules. The networking device may further include a request processor configured to receive an incoming HTTP request from the client, apply HTTP request rules to the incoming HTTP request, to thereby produce a modified HTTP request, and send the modified HTTP request to the server. The networking device may further include a response processor configured to receive an HTTP response to the modified HTTP request from the server, apply the HTTP response rules to the HTTP response, to thereby produce a modified HTTP response, and send the modified HTTP response to the client. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A networking method for use with a networking device having hardware for executing program modules, the network device positioned intermediate a client and a server on a computer network, the method comprising: receiving, with the networking device, a user-defined ruleset comprising a set of user-defined request rules and a set of user-defined response rules; at the networking device, receiving an unsecure response from the server; converting, with the networking device, the unsecure response to a secure response according to the set of user-defined request rules; forwarding the secure response to the client; receiving a secure request from the client, the secure request originating from a link contained in the secure response; converting, with the networking device, the secure request to an unsecure request according to the set of user-defined response rules; and forwarding the unsecure request to the server. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The networking method of claim 1, wherein converting the unsecure response to a secure response comprises rewriting a portion of the unsecure response from Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) according to the set of user-defined response rules. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The networking method of claim 1, wherein converting the unsecure response to a secure response comprises rewriting the response headers in the unsecure response from HTTP to HTTPS according to the set of user-defined response rules. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The networking method of claim 1, wherein converting the unsecure response to a secure response comprises rewriting links contained in the content of the unsecure response from HTTP to HTTPS according to the set of user-defined response rules. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The networking method of claim 1, wherein converting the secure request to an unsecure request comprises rewriting a portion of the secure request from HTTPS to HTTP according to the set of user-defined request rules. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The networking method of claim 1, wherein converting the secure request to an unsecure request comprises rewriting a portion of a query string in the secure request from HTTPS to HTTP according to the set of user-defined request rules. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The networking method of claim 1, wherein converting the secure request to an unsecure request comprises rewriting a portion of a referrer URL in the secure request from HTTPS to HTTP according to the set of user-defined request rules. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each of the rules of the set of user-defined request rules comprises a test condition and an action statement, wherein converting the secure request to the unsecure request comprises: applying the test condition of each of the set of user-defined request rules to the secure request to determine whether the test condition is true for the secure request; and performing an action defined by the action statement of each of the user-defined request rules for which the applied test condition is determined to be true for the secure request. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each of the rules of the set of user-defined response rules comprises a test condition and an action statement, wherein converting the unsecure response to the secure response comprises: applying the test condition of each of the set of user-defined response rules to the unsecure response to determine whether the test condition is true for the unsecure response; and performing an action defined by the action statement of each of the user-defined response rules for which the applied test condition is determined to be true for the unsecure response. ### Claim 10 A networking device positioned intermediate a client and server on a computer network, the networking device having hardware for executing program modules, the network device comprising: a configuration tool configured to receive a user-defined ruleset comprising a set of user-defined request rules and a set of user-defined response rules; a response processor configured to receive an unsecure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) response from the server, rewrite a portion of the HTTP response from HTTP to Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) according to the set of user-defined response rules to form a secure response, and send the secure response to the client; a request processor configured to receive a secure HTTPS request from the client, rewrite a portion of the secure HTTPS request from HTTPS to HTTP according to the set of user-defined request rules to form a unsecure request, and send the unsecure request to the server. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The networking device of claim 10, wherein the response processor is configured to rewrite a portion of a response header of the HTTP response from HTTP to HTTPS according to the set of user-defined response rules. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The networking device of claim 10, wherein the response processor is configured to rewrite a portion of a link within the HTTP response from HTTPS to HTTPS according to the set of user-defined response rules. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The networking device of claim 10, wherein the request processor is configured to rewrite a portion of a query string of the HTTP request from HTTPS to HTTP according to the set of user-defined request rules. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The networking device of claim 10, wherein the request processor is configured to rewrite a portion of a referrer URL in a request header of the HTTP request from HTTPS to HTTP according to the set of user-defined request rules. ### Claim 15 A networking method for use with a networking device positioned intermediate a client and a server on a computer network, the method comprising: receiving a set of user-defined response rules; receiving an original HTTP request from the client, at the networking device; at least temporarily storing a copy of the original HTTP request, at the networking device; forwarding a version of the HTTP request to the server; receiving an HTTP response to the version of the HTTP request at the networking device; applying the set of user-defined response rules to the HTTP response, wherein the user-defined response rules reference the original HTTP request; recalling the original HTTP request according to the set of user-defined response rules; modifying the HTTP response according to the set of user-defined response rules, at least in part based on the original HTTP request stored at the networking device; and forwarding the modified HTTP response to the client. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The networking method of claim 15, further comprising, prior to forwarding the HTTP request to the server, modifying the HTTP request to form a modified version of the HTTP request; wherein the modified version of the HTTP request comprises the version of the HTTP request that is forwarded to the server.