Methods of structuring data, pre-compiled exception list engines, and network appliances

A network appliance for connection to a first network, the appliance comprising:

• at least one input coupled to the first network for receiving a data packet from the first network, the data packet including an internet protocol (IP) address;
• at least one memory device storing instructions and data, the data including:
• a plurality of pages storing a plurality of excepted IP addresses, the excepted IP addresses each having a numeric value within a range of numeric values, the range divided into a plurality of clusters representing a plurality of contiguous sub-ranges, each page including one or more of the excepted IP addresses assigned to at least one of the clusters associated with the sub-range that includes the numeric value of said IP address within one or more of the sub-ranges associated with that page, each page having a page size defined by a maximum number of IP addresses that can be assigned to that page, the IP addresses in each cluster assigned to each page are ordered by numeric value;
• and
• at least one processor executing computer-executable instructions, said instructions comprising instructions to:
• identify the IP address of the packet from the first network;
• identify-a target page that will include the IP address if the IP address is one of the plurality of excepted IP addresses, wherein the excepted IP addresses include a plurality of allowable IP addresses and a plurality of blocked IP addresses;
• search-the target page to determine if the IP address is one of the excepted IP addresses in the target page;
• process-the packet from the first network according to whether the IP address is an excepted IP address in the target page;
• and
• determine whether to allow the packet from the first network to proceed based on if the IP address is an allowable IP address in the target page and to deny the packet from the first network from proceeding if the IP address is a blocked IP address in the target page.