US Patent 7627636 Securely extending data processing pipeline functionality

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for securely and efficiently extending data processing pipeline functionality. Data processing agents register, potentially based solely on configuration data contained in the data processing agents, to manipulate data of a data processing pipeline. Configuration data can identify a specified event (e.g., an SMTP verb) the data processing agent is to hook into. Upon detection of a specified event, one or more agents that have registered for the specified event are loaded into secure zones. Process boundaries separate agents from one another and from other processes such that execution of each agent is isolated from other processes. Pipeline related data (e.g., electronic message data) is transferred to each loaded agent. Application Program Interfaces (“APIs”) can be used to transfer data between modules that implement embodiments of the present invention.