7. A computer system for filtering data packets in a network comprising a processor configured to perform: collecting configured filter rules containing logical expressions for processing data packets, determining simple form filter rules based on the configured filter rules, wherein the simple form filter rules comprises a filter group name and attributes to correlate the simple form rules to a complex form filter rule, assembling a sub-list summary structure, wherein the sub-list summary structure comprises simple form filter rules recombined into complex form filter rules by common attribute data and wherein the sub-list summary structure further includes sub-list summary rules each containing a plurality of filter rules and sub-list summary attributes containing the narrowest ranges which encompass all of the ranges or values of the corresponding attributes in the filter rules associated with the sub-list summary rule, receiving a packet with attributes, determining applicable filter rule by comparing the attributes of the received packet with the attributes of the sub-list summary structure.
7. A computer system for filtering data packets in a network comprising a processor configured to perform: collecting configured filter rules containing logical expressions for processing data packets, determining simple form filter rules based on the configured filter rules, wherein the simple form filter rules comprises a filter group name and attributes to correlate the simple form rules to a complex form filter rule, assembling a sub-list summary structure, wherein the sub-list summary structure comprises simple form filter rules recombined into complex form filter rules by common attribute data and wherein the sub-list summary structure further includes sub-list summary rules each containing a plurality of filter rules and sub-list summary attributes containing the narrowest ranges which encompass all of the ranges or values of the corresponding attributes in the filter rules associated with the sub-list summary rule, receiving a packet with attributes, determining applicable filter rule by comparing the attributes of the received packet with the attributes of the sub-list summary structure. 10. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the attribute is a user configured name.