A method of operating a switch coupled with a plurality of servers and a controller in a load balancing system to determine which server of the plurality of servers will service a client's request, the method comprising: providing a flow table including a plurality of default flow entries wherein each of the plurality of default flow entries includes a respective match pattern with each of the match patterns of the plurality of default flow entries being different and wherein at least one of the plurality of default flow entries includes a respective match pattern having at least one unrestricted character so that the match pattern having the unrestricted character is satisfied by a plurality of data flow identifications, and wherein each of the plurality of default flow entries includes an action to be performed for data packets having data flow identifications that satisfy the respective match pattern; receiving a data packet for a data flow from a client device wherein the data packet includes a data flow identification for the data flow; identifying a default flow entry of the plurality of default flow entries having a match pattern that is satisfied by the data flow identification; and processing the data packet for the data flow in accordance with the action for the default flow entry having the match pattern that is satisfied by the data flow identification; characterized in that the action for the default flow entry is to transmit data packets to a server identified by the default flow entry and to transmit a data flow identification to the controller, and wherein processing the data packet for the data flow comprises transmitting the data packet to the server identified by the default flow entry and transmitting the data flow identification for the data flow to the controller together with an indication that an associated data packet was transmitted by the switch to the server, an identification of the server, and an identification of the default flow entry used to process the data packet. providing a flow table including a plurality of default flow entries wherein each of the plurality of default flow entries includes a respective match pattern with each of the match patterns of the plurality of default flow entries being different and wherein at least one of the plurality of default flow entries includes a respective match pattern having at least one unrestricted character so that the match pattern having the unrestricted character is satisfied by a plurality of data flow identifications, and wherein each of the plurality of default flow entries includes an action to be performed for data packets having data flow identifications that satisfy the respective match pattern; receiving a data packet for a data flow from a client device wherein the data packet includes a data flow identification for the data flow; identifying a default flow entry of the plurality of default flow entries having a match pattern that is satisfied by the data flow identification; and processing the data packet for the data flow in accordance with the action for the default flow entry having the match pattern that is satisfied by the data flow identification; characterized in that the action for the default flow entry is to transmit data packets to a server identified by the default flow entry and to transmit a data flow identification to the controller, and wherein processing the data packet for the data flow comprises transmitting the data packet to the server identified by the default flow entry and transmitting the data flow identification for the data flow to the controller together with an indication that an associated data packet was transmitted by the switch to the server, an identification of the server, and an identification of the default flow entry used to process the data packet. <EOS>