Patent ID: 7606867

Claim:
A data processing apparatus, comprising: a plurality of processors; message processing logic which when executed by one or more of the processors is operable to perform: establishing one of the processors as a master processor and all other processors as slave processors, wherein the establishing one of the processors as a master processor and all other processors as slave processors is performed using Web Cache Control Protocol (WCCP); receiving an application message from a particular message source among a plurality of message sources coupled to one or more network interfaces and the processors, wherein the application message comprises one or more data frames, packets and segments; granting exclusive control of the particular message source to a selected one of the slave processors; assigning an ordered sequence number to the application message; granting exclusive control, for a particular message destination among a plurality of message destinations coupled to the network interfaces and the processors, to the selected one of the slave processors; and providing the application message to the particular message destination.