A Method of and Network Server for Detecting Data Patterns in an Input Data Stream

Computer controlled method, network server (42, 43, 44, 46, 48) and system (40) for detecting data patterns in a data stream (36) received by a computer (30). The data stream (36) comprising a plurality of data symbols. The computer (30) executes a finite automata (10) comprising a plurality of states (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) including a start state (11) and at least one accepting state (15). State transitions (16) are triggered by a data symbol (17a) according to a state transition register (17) and the method comprises the steps of determining (21), by the computer (30), from a data symbol register (18) whether a data symbol of the data stream (36) is comprised in a group of data symbols not resulting in an accepting state (15), and triggering (22), by the computer (30), a transition (16) to the start state (11) for data symbols comprised in the group and a transition (23) to a state (12, 13, 14, 15) according to the state transition register (17) for detecting the data pattern otherwise.