Patent ID: 8161167

Claim:
A network apparatus, comprising: a plurality of application service modules (ASMs) comprising an application service processor, wherein each of the plurality of ASMs is capable of providing one or more application services to network traffic, including an ISO layer 7 service; a remote direct memory access (RDMA) lossless data transport fabric (LDTF) configured to transmit a data stream; and a plurality of network service modules (NSMs) comprising a network service processor coupled to the ASMs over the LDTF, wherein the NSMs are configured to: perform all of ISO layer 2 to layer 5 (layer 2-5) processes on one of a plurality of packets of a network transaction received from a client over a first network for accessing a server of a data center over a second network; terminate transport protocol processing of the packets; generate a data stream of the packets; and route the data stream to the ASMs over the LDTF to allow the ASMs to perform all of ISO layer 5 to layer 7 (layer 5-7) processes on the packets; wherein the NSMs are further configured to terminate a transport control protocol (TCP) connection associated with the network transaction and to route the data stream to the plurality of ASMs and to transform the data stream of the layer 5-7 processed packets received from the ASMs into protocol data units (PDUs); and wherein the ASMs are further configured to route the data stream of layer 5-7 processed packets to the NSMs after the ASMs perform the layer 5-7 processes on the packets without having to terminate the TCP connection again.