Adaptive re-ordering of data packet filter rules

Abstract From the Canadian patent

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 …