US 9203806

US Patent 9203806: Rule Swapping in a Packet Network

Title: Rule swapping in a packet network
Assignee: Centripetal Networks LLC
Inventors: David K. Ahn, Steven Rogers, Sean Moore
Filing Date: January 11, 2013
Issue Date: December 1, 2015
Abstract: The patent describes a system and method for efficiently swapping rule sets in a network protection device. It involves receiving and preprocessing (optimizing) two rule sets. The device first processes packets using the first rule set. When a switch is needed, all processors are signaled to transition to the second rule set. This transition involves each processor ceasing current packet processing, caching unprocessed packets, reconfiguring to the new rule set, signaling completion, and then processing cached and new packets with the second rule set.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

US Patent 9203806 contains three independent claims: Claim 1 (method), Claim 9 (system), and Claim 17 (computer-readable media). Independent claims stand alone and do not refer to other claims.

• Independent Claim 1 (Method): This claim describes a method for fast rule swapping in a network protection device. The key steps include:

  1. Receiving two rule sets (first and second) by a network protection device.
  2. Preprocessing both rule sets to optimize the device's performance for packet processing.
  3. Configuring at least two processors within the device to use the first rule set for packet processing.
  4. Receiving packets after the preprocessing and initial configuration.
  5. Processing some of these packets using the first rule set.
  6. Signaling each of the at least two processors to switch to processing packets according to the second rule set.
  7. Each processor, in response to the signal, then:
     • Stops processing any currently active packets.
     • Caches those unprocessed packets.
     • Reconfigures itself to apply the second rule set.
     • Signals that its reconfiguration is complete.
     • Only after receiving confirmation that all other processors have also reconfigured, processes the previously cached packets (and subsequently, new packets) using the second rule set.

• Independent Claim 9 (System): This claim outlines a system designed for rule swapping, comprising a plurality of processors and a memory. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the system to perform actions analogous to the method described in Claim 1. These actions include receiving and preprocessing two rule sets, configuring processors for a first rule set, processing packets with the first rule set, and then synchronizing the reconfiguration of multiple processors to a second rule set, including ceasing, caching, reconfiguring, signaling completion, and then processing cached packets once all other processors have signaled completion.

• Independent Claim 17 (Computer-Readable Media): This claim covers one or more non-transitory computer-readable media containing instructions. When these instructions are executed by a computing system, they cause the system to perform the same set of steps as detailed in the method of Claim 1 and the functionality of the system of Claim 9. This includes receiving and preprocessing rule sets, configuring processors, processing packets with a first rule set, and then coordinating the switch of multiple processors to a second rule set by ceasing processing, caching, reconfiguring, signaling completion, and processing cached packets after all other processors are ready.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:

A search of CAFC dockets for 2026 for patent number US9203806 did not return any direct results as of April 26, 2026. While there is general information about patent litigation in the Federal Circuit during 2026, no specific cases for US9203806 were found in the provided CAFC 2026 dockets. It is important to note that litigation data may be dynamic and new cases could be filed.