Patent ID: 7194541

Claim:
A method of enabling a plurality of hosts to access a plurality of services provided by corresponding plurality of servers at corresponding destination addresses, said method being implemented in a service selection gateway (SSG) operating as a switch, said plurality of hosts and said plurality of servers being separated by a network, said SSG providing connectivity between said plurality of hosts and said servers via said network, said method comprising: receiving data representing a corresponding subset of services each of said plurality of hosts is permitted to access, said data indicating that a first host is permitted to access a first subset of services, each of said subset of services being contained in said plurality of services and said first host being contained in said plurality of hosts; receiving a packet from said first host contained in said plurality of hosts, said packet containing a destination address identifying a service sought to be accessed; determining whether said packet is destined to one of said first subset of services by examining said destination address; and forwarding said packet on said network to a server providing said one of said subset of services if said packet is destined to one of said first subset of services, said server being contained in said plurality of servers, wherein said SSG is physically separate from said plurality of servers.