Method and apparatus to enable efficient processing and transmission of network communications

• US 20040064537A1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Anderson, Andrew V., Robinson, Scott H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,188,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32

Abstract

A method and apparatus to enable efficient processing and transmission of network communications are described. A network transmission directed to one or more destination nodes within a network is received. One or more network transmission items are identified in the network transmission. One or more item signatures associated with the one or more network transmission items are generated. Finally, a determination is made whether the one or more network transmission items can be transmitted to the one or more destination nodes by further processing the one or more item signatures.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a network transmission directed to at least one destination node within a network;

identifying at least one network transmission item in said network transmission;

generating at least one item signature associated with said at least one network transmission item; and

determining whether said at least one network transmission item can be transmitted to said at least one destination node by further processing said at least one item signature.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining further comprises:

comparing said at least one item signature to each signature of a plurality of signatures stored in at least one signature database;

storing said at least one item signature in said at least one signature database if no match exists between said at least one item signature and said each signature; and

selectively transmitting said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said network is an internal network.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

storing item metadata information associated with said at least one network transmission item together with said at least one item signature in said at least one signature database.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining further comprises:

comparing said at least one item signature to each signature of a plurality of signatures stored in at least one signature database; and

selectively transmitting said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said network is an external network and said at least one item signature matches a signature within said at least one signature database.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said transmitting further comprises:

comparing item metadata information associated with said at least one network transmission item to metadata stored within said at least one item database and corresponding to said signature; and

transmitting said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said metadata does not prohibit transmission of said at least one network transmission item.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said metadata is inserted within said at least one signature database in conjunction with said each signature of said plurality of signatures.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein said transmitting further comprises:

comparing item metadata information associated with said at least one network transmission item to metadata stored within said at least one item database and corresponding to said signature; and

blocking transmission of said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said metadata prohibits said transmission.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining further comprises:

comparing said at least one item signature to each signature of a plurality of signatures stored in at least one signature database; and

transmitting said at least one network transmission item to a processing module for further processing, if said network is an external network and said at least one item signature does not match a signature within said at least one signature database.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

blocking said at least one network transmission item from being transmitted to said at least one destination node.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

selectively transmitting said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node; and

inserting said at least one item signature in said at least one signature database.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

logging said at least one network transmission item in a log database.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one item signature further comprises a cryptographic hash algorithm.

13. An apparatus comprising:

at least one communication parser to receive a network transmission directed to at least one destination node within a network and to identify at least one network transmission item in said network transmission;

a signature generator coupled to said at least one communication parser to generate at least one item signature associated with said at least one network transmission item; and

a filter module coupled to said signature generator to determine whether said at least one network transmission item can be transmitted to said at least one destination node by further processing said at least one item signature.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said filter module further compares said at least one item signature to each signature of a plurality of signatures stored in at least one signature database, stores said at least one item signature in said at least one signature database if no match exists between said at least one item signature and said each signature, and selectively transmits said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said network is an internal network.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said filter module further stores item metadata information associated with said at least one network transmission item together with said at least one item signature in said at least one signature database.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said filter module further compares said at least one item signature to each signature of a plurality of signatures stored in at least one signature database and selectively transmits said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said network is an external network and said at least one item signature matches a signature within said at least one signature database.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said filter module further compares item metadata information associated with said at least one network transmission item to metadata stored within said at least one item database and corresponding to said signature, and further transmits said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said metadata does not prohibit transmission of said at least one network transmission item.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said metadata is inserted within said at least one signature database in conjunction with said each signature of said plurality of signatures.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said filter module further compares item metadata information associated with said at least one network transmission item to metadata stored within said at least one item database and corresponding to said signature, and blocks transmission of said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said metadata prohibits said transmission.

20. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said filter module further compares said at least one item signature to each signature of a plurality of signatures stored in at least one signature database and further transmits said at least one network transmission item to a processing module coupled to said filter module for further processing, if said network is an external network and said at least one item signature does not match a signature within said at least one signature database.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said processing module further blocks said at least one network transmission item from being transmitted to said at least one destination node.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said processing module further transmits selectively said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node and inserts said at least one item signature in said at least one signature database.

23. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said processing module further logs said at least one network transmission item in a log database.

24. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said at least one item signature further comprises a cryptographic hash algorithm.

25. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to said memory to receive a network transmission directed to at least one destination node within a network, to identify at least one network transmission item in said network transmission, to generate at least one item signature associated with said at least one network transmission item, and to determine whether said at least one network transmission item can be transmitted to said at least one destination node by further processing said at least one item signature.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein said processor compares said at least one item signature to each signature of a plurality of signatures stored in at least one signature database within said memory, stores said at least one item signature in said at least one signature database if no match exists between said at least one item signature and said each signature, and selectively transmits said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said network is an internal network.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein said processor further stores item metadata information associated with said at least one network transmission item together with said at least one item signature in said at least one signature database.

28. The system according to claim 25, wherein said processor further compares said at least one item signature to each signature of a plurality of signatures stored in at least one signature database and selectively transmits said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said network is an external network and said at least one item signature matches a signature within said at least one signature database.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein said processor further compares item metadata information associated with said at least one network transmission item to metadata stored within said at least one item database and corresponding to said signature, and further transmits said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said metadata does not prohibit transmission of said at least one network transmission item.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein said metadata is inserted within said at least one signature database in conjunction with said each signature of said plurality of signatures.

31. The system according to claim 28, wherein said processor further compares item metadata information associated with said at least one network transmission item to metadata stored within said at least one item database and corresponding to said signature, and blocks transmission of said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said metadata prohibits said transmission.

32. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a network transmission directed to at least one destination node within a network;

means for identifying at least one network transmission item in said network transmission;

means for generating at least one item signature associated with said at least one network transmission item; and

means for determining whether said at least one network transmission item can be transmitted to said at least one destination node by further processing said at least one item signature.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising:

means for comparing said at least one item signature to each signature of a plurality of signatures stored in at least one signature database;

means for storing said at least one item signature in said at least one signature database if no match exists between said at least one item signature and said each signature; and

means for selectively transmitting said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said network is an internal network.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33, further comprising:

means for storing item metadata information associated with said at least one network transmission item together with said at least one item signature in said at least one signature database.

35. The apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising:

means for comparing said at least one item signature to each signature of a plurality of signatures stored in at least one signature database; and

means for selectively transmitting said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said network is an external network and said at least one item signature matches a signature within said at least one signature database.

36. The apparatus according to claim 35, further comprising:

means for comparing item metadata information associated with said at least one network transmission item to metadata stored within said at least one item database and corresponding to said signature; and

means for transmitting said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said metadata does not prohibit transmission of said at least one network transmission item.

37. The apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said metadata is inserted within said at least one signature database in conjunction with said each signature of said plurality of signatures.

38. The apparatus according to claim 35, further comprising:

means for comparing item metadata information associated with said at least one network transmission item to metadata stored within said at least one item database and corresponding to said signature; and

means for blocking transmission of said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said metadata prohibits said transmission.

39. The apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising:

means for comparing said at least one item signature to each signature of a plurality of signatures stored in at least one signature database; and

means for transmitting said at least one network transmission item to a processing module for further processing, if said network is an external network and said at least one item signature does not match a signature within said at least one signature database.

40. The apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising:

means for blocking said at least one network transmission item from being transmitted to said at least one destination node.

41. The apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising:

means for selectively transmitting said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node; and

means for inserting said at least one item signature in said at least one signature database.

42. The apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising:

means for logging said at least one network transmission item in a log database.

43. A computer readable medium containing executable instructions, which, when executed in a processing system, cause said processing system to perform a method comprising:

receiving a network transmission directed to at least one destination node within a network;

identifying at least one network transmission item in said network transmission;

generating at least one item signature associated with said at least one network transmission item; and

determining whether said at least one network transmission item can be transmitted to said at least one destination node by further processing said at least one item signature.

44. The computer readable medium according to claim 43, wherein said determining further comprises:

comparing said at least one item signature to each signature of a plurality of signatures stored in at least one signature database;

storing said at least one item signature in said at least one signature database if no match exists between said at least one item signature and said each signature; and

selectively transmitting said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said network is an internal network.

45. The computer readable medium according to claim 44, wherein said method further comprises:

storing item metadata information associated with said at least one network transmission item together with said at least one item signature in said at least one signature database.

46. The computer readable medium according to claim 43, wherein said determining further comprises:

comparing said at least one item signature to each signature of a plurality of signatures stored in at least one signature database; and

selectively transmitting said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said network is an external network and said at least one item signature matches a signature within said at least one signature database.

47. The computer readable medium according to claim 46, wherein said transmitting further comprises:

comparing item metadata information associated with said at least one network transmission item to metadata stored within said at least one item database and corresponding to said signature; and

transmitting said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said metadata does not prohibit transmission of said at least one network transmission item.

48. The computer readable medium according to claim 47, wherein said metadata is inserted within said at least one signature database in conjunction with said each signature of said plurality of signatures.

49. The computer readable medium according to claim 46, wherein said transmitting further comprises:

comparing item metadata information associated with said at least one network transmission item to metadata stored within said at least one item database and corresponding to said signature; and

blocking transmission of said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node, if said metadata prohibits said transmission.

50. The computer readable medium according to claim 43, wherein said determining further comprises:

comparing said at least one item signature to each signature of a plurality of signatures stored in at least one signature database; and

transmitting said at least one network transmission item to a processing module for further processing, if said network is an external network and said at least one item signature does not match a signature within said at least one signature database.

51. The computer readable medium according to claim 50, wherein said method further comprises:

blocking said at least one network transmission item from being transmitted to said at least one destination node.

52. The computer readable medium according to claim 50, wherein said method further comprises:

selectively transmitting said at least one network transmission item to said at least one destination node; and

inserting said at least one item signature in said at least one signature database.

53. The computer readable medium according to claim 50, wherein said method further comprises:

logging said at least one network transmission item in a log database.