Abstract: An ordered list of precedence values includes a number of blocks of precedence values. An operating system receives filters from an application. The operating system assigns a precedence value to each filter from the available block of precedence values that has the highest priority. Precedence values are assigned to maintain a precedence order specified by the application. Filters and their assigned precedence values are communicated to an entity that filters packets by applying the filters in the order of their precedence values. Filters for an application can be added, deleted, or modified without affecting the precedence values of other filters for other applications. If an assignment is to be made when the lowest priority block is not available, then a repacking operation is performed to fill unused blocks in the list. The repacking is performed to reduce signaling associated with communicating reassigned precedences values to the filtering entity.

Abstract: A method of transmitting and receiving data from a multi-homing network device to a data network is disclosed and includes defining a network policy and transmitting the network policy to a routing module. Further, the method includes receiving a route scope from the routing module. The route scope identifies a subset of data interfaces to the data network that satisfy the network policy wherein the subset of data interfaces are selected from a set of available data interfaces and wherein the subset of data interfaces includes at least one data interface.