Patent ID: 7130305

Claim:
A method for processing data packets within a network element cluster having a plurality of network element nodes, said network element cluster having a cluster network address common to said plurality of nodes, said method comprising the steps of: determining distribution decisions for first data packets, a first data packet being a data packet initiating opening of a packet data connection to said cluster network address, according to predetermined criteria, selecting from said first data packets for each node of the network element cluster those first data packets, which are to be processed in said node, according to the distribution decisions, maintaining node-specific lists about opened packet data connections for which a node is responsible, and selecting from second data packets, a second data packet being a data packet relating to an opened packet data connection specified in a node-specific list, for each node of the network element cluster those second data packets, which relate to connections on the node-specific list of said node, and wherein said node-specific list comprises timing information for determining how long an opened packet data connection is valid, and said maintaining comprises the substeps of: updating said timing information, when a node for processing a second data packet is selected, removing an entry representing an opened packet data connection from said node-specific list, when a predefined time period from the receiving of the latest data packet relating to said packet data connection is exceeded.