Abstract: A method for managing incremental classifier tables is disclosed. A sequence of classifier table updates is received. Each update in the sequence of updates is associated with a filter and is analyzed. If multiple updates are received at the same time, then all updates associated with the same filter are identified. The updates on the same filter can be reduced to a single update resulting in an identical final state of the same filter. The other updates associated with the filter are removed from the sequence of updates. A reduced sequence of classifier updates is generated based on other updates of filters with multiple updates being removed. The reduced sequence of classifier updates comprises a set of classifier table updates, where for each distinct filter in the reduced sequence only one update is associated therewith. A reordered sequence of update operations is generated from the reduced sequence of update operations.