Patent ID: 7246245

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a first integrated processor having one or more network interfaces to receive incoming encrypted and unencrypted packets, in which the first integrated processor is to be programmed, during use, to perform protocol processing of unencrypted packets received on the one or more network interfaces and programmed to detect encrypted packets received on the one or more network interfaces, the first integrated processor to also transmit outgoing encrypted and unencrypted packets onto the one or more network interfaces; a second integrated processor coupled to the first integrated processor to receive the protocol processed incoming unencrypted packets and to transfer the protocol processed unencrypted packets onto a switch fabric, the second integrated processor to receive the incoming encrypted packets and determine a security association for the incoming encrypted packets in order to have the incoming encrypted packets decrypted, the second processor to also receive outgoing packets from the switch fabric, in which the second processor is to transfer outgoing packets that are not to be encrypted to the first processor and to have processed outgoing packets that are to be encrypted prior to transfer to the first processor; a security processor coupled to the second integrated processor to receive the incoming encrypted packets and the security association and to decrypt the encrypted packets for transfer back to the second processor to determine if the decrypted incoming packets are to be coupled to the switch fabric, the security processor to also receive outgoing packets that are to be encrypted and to encrypt the outgoing packets prior to transfer back to the second processor; and the first integrated processor, the second integrated processor and the security processor to reside on a line card that is to be disposed between a data network and the switch fabric, in which the switch fabric is to be coupled to a plurality of storage devices.