Patent ID: 9258276
Filing Date: 2016-02-09
CPC Classification: G06F,H04L,Y02D

Claim Text:
1. A method for handling packets, comprising the steps of: executing security related services on packets with a plurality of offload processors disposed on hardware modules directly connected to a memory bus; redirecting the packets to at least one main processor over the memory bus; executing services different from the security related services on the packets with the at least one main processor, the at least one main processor being coupled to a system bus and in communication with the plurality of offload processors via the memory bus by operation of a memory controller; and receiving and directing packets to the at least one main processor or at least one of the offload processors by operation of a first virtual switch disposed on one of the hardware modules and in communication with the at least one main processor and the plurality of offload processors via the memory bus by operation of the memory controller, the first virtual switch configured to receive memory read/write data over the memory bus; wherein the first virtual switch comprises at least one offload processor executing virtual switching software, and the packets are forwarded from a network to the offload processors and the at least one main processor by operation of a second virtual switch coupled to the system bus.