Patent ID: 8458467

Claim:
A machine-implemented method comprising: receiving one or more packets representing an input application message logically associated with OSI network model Layer 5 or above, wherein the input application message is from a sender application to a receiver application; wherein the one or more packets are received in a network infrastructure data processing element comprising a plurality of network interfaces that are configured to be coupled to a data network for receiving one or more packets therefrom and sending one or more packets thereto, one or more processors, a switching system coupled to the one or more processors and packet forwarding logic, wherein the switching system and packet forwarding logic are configured to receive packets on a first network interface, determine a second network interface on which to send the packets, and to send the packets on the second network interface, and application message transformation logic; extracting an application message payload from the input application message; identifying one or more first content elements in the application message payload; transforming the one or more first content elements into one or more second content elements of an output application message at least in part by: adding, to the input application message, a field and a corresponding data value that do not exist in the input application message and are expected by the receiver application; and forwarding the output application message to a destination that is identified in the input application message.