Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method and system for controlling packet flow through a protocol stack. The system comprises the layer manager which interfaces with each stack layer. The layer manager handles the packet flow to the stack layers. For a new packet path to be supported, only the Layer Manager needs to be modified, not the stack layers. This makes the implementation of the layers in the protocol stack easier. In an alternative embodiment, the layer manager comprises a plurality of protocol descriptor lists for supported services and uses these lists to route a packet to the appropriate stack layer. With this alternative embodiment, new stack layers may be inserted into the protocol stack without the need to modify the existing stack layers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for controlling packet flow through a protocol stack. The method includes: receiving a packet by a layer manager, wherein the layer manager may interface with each layer of the protocol stack; determining a service associated with the packet by the layer manager; accessing a list of layers of the protocol stack for the service by the layer manager; and routing the packet to a layer of the protocol stack according to the list. The layer manager comprises a plurality of protocol descriptor lists for supported services and uses these lists to route a packet to the appropriate stack layer. In this manner, the stack layers need not have knowledge of the other layers or of the proper routing of the packet. This makes the implementation of the layers in the protocol stack easier.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for controlling packet flow through a protocol stack. The method includes: receiving a packet by a layer manager, wherein the layer manager may interface with each layer of the protocol stack; determining a service associated with the packet by the layer manager; accessing a list of layers of the protocol stack for the service by the layer manager; and routing the packet to a layer of the protocol stack according to the list. The layer manager comprises a plurality of protocol descriptor lists for supported services and uses these lists to route a packet to the appropriate stack layer. In this manner, the stack layers need not have knowledge of the other layers or of the proper routing of the packet. This makes the implementation of the layers in the protocol stack easier.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method and system for controlling packet flow through a protocol stack. The system comprises the layer manager which interfaces with each stack layer. The layer manager handles the packet flow to the stack layers. For a new packet path to be supported, only the Layer Manager needs to be modified, not the stack layers. This makes the implementation of the layers in the protocol stack easier. In an alternative embodiment, the layer manager comprises a plurality of protocol descriptor lists for supported services and uses these lists to route a packet to the appropriate stack layer. With this alternative embodiment, new stack layers may be inserted into the protocol stack without the need to modify the existing stack layers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for instrumenting protocol stack components. The method includes: receiving data from a first stack component of the protocol stack by a layer manager; analyzing the data for instrumentation information by the layer manager; and routing the data to a second stack component of the protocol stack by the layer manager. The system comprises a layer manager which interfaces with each stack component and handles the data flow to the stack components. To instrument the protocol stack, the layer manager is instrumented without the need to instrument the stack, components. In this manner, the instrumentation of the protocol stack is simplified, and the amount of code required to capture and analyze the data is reduced.

Abstract: A method and system for access control within a protocol stack includes: receiving a request to perform an operation at a layer of the protocol stack; calling an access mediator; determining if the request is to be granted based upon a predetermined security policy by the access mediator; and providing the determination by the access mediator. The Access Mediator is a software which embodies the rules of a predetermined security policy. In the preferred embodiment, the security policy is subject (people) based. The rules of the security policy determines which subjects can have access to which objects (data) to perform a requested operation (read/write). The Access Mediator is called to determine whether or not a request to perform an operation is to be granted based upon the security policy. In this manner, access control is provided within the protocol stack.