Proofpoint, Inc.
System and Method for Scalable File Filtering Using Wildcards

Abstract:

A system monitors access to a computer file via a dynamically changeable non heterogeneous collection load balanced across two hash tables. User activity is monitored on a target device to detect a user entered pattern including a wildcard character. A server in communication with the target device, receives the user entered pattern, selects one of the two hash tables, and calculates an index for a pattern for the selected hash table based on the user entered pattern. The index is used to access the selected hash table to receive a stored pattern. The hash tables each have a plurality of entries, and each entry includes a list of one or more patterns that have the same hash index but different pattern values sorted by length in characters from longest to shortest.