Patent ID: 7218632

Claim:
Apparatus including a first device having a plurality of network input interfaces and a plurality of network output interfaces, said first device including a packet information extractor coupled to at least one of said network input interface, said first device comprising logic for extracting packet information without performing packet forwarding decisions; a second device coupled to said packet information extractor, said second device comprising logic configured for generating packet forwarding information and output port information responsive to an output of said packet information extractor, wherein said second device performs generating packet forwarding information substantially for first packets substantially in parallel with said first device performing extracting packet information for other packets, wherein the second device accesses a forwarding memory to record one or more forwarding information rules as the forwarding information rules become available to the second device in response to changes in any one of network topology, access control, and administrative and managerial rules; an information link, coupled to said first device and said second device; a network flow routing engine coupled to said second device, wherein the network flow routing engine determines network flow packet forwarding information in response to receiving network flow information associated with said output of said packet information extractor and provides said network flow packet forwarding information to said second device, wherein said second device uses said network flow packet forwarding information in generating said packet forwarding information; an input access content addressable memory coupled to said second device and operable to determine whether access is permitted at any one of said plurality of network input interfaces; and an output access content addressable memory coupled to said second device and operable to determine whether access is permitted at any one of said plurality of network output interfaces.