Patent ID: 7760640

Claim:
In a computer network system based on an open system interconnection model, said computer network system including at least a network layer (Layer 3) and an application layer (Layer 7), a method for managing an input flow and an output flow of electronic message traffic into and out of said computer network system, respectively, said method comprising: providing a network device operating on the network layer, which network device is configurable to operate in an operational configuration; exchanging configuration information directly between Layer 3 and Layer 7 at least by publishing a new configuration from Layer 7 to the network device to provide a new operational configuration of the network device; based on said configuration information, enhancing at least one of said input flow and said output flow of said electronic message traffic by operating the network device according to the new operational configuration, as published to the network device, to change at least one operating characteristic of the network device that modifies at least one of said input flow and said output flow; wherein Layer 7 is configured for handling one or more software applications for producing said electronic message traffic, which electronic message traffic includes a plurality of data packets, and wherein Layer 3 is configured for processing the plurality of data packets; at Layer 7, generating said new configuration based on at least a particular software application that is handled by Layer 7; wherein the exchanging includes transferring the new configuration from Layer 7 to Layer 3 regarding at least the particular software application being handled at Layer 7; and wherein the enhancing includes processing the plurality of data packets at Layer 3, in accordance with the new configuration information received from Layer 7 to modify at least one of the input flow and the output flow.