Patent ID: 7020153

Claim:
A method for processing data packets ( 112 ) in a router ( 110 ) having a plurality of input ports ( 114 ), a plurality of output ports ( 114 ) and more than one packet processing unit (PPU 11 to PPU M) for deriving from a piece of information associated to each data packet ( 112 ) one of said plurality of output ports ( 114 ) to forward said data packet ( 112 ) to, said method comprising the steps: determining one packet processing unit (PPU 11 to PPU M) of said more than one packet processing unit (PPU 11 to PPU M) in response to an appearance of a data packet ( 112 ) at one of said input ports ( 114 ), wherein said determining one packet processing unit is based on a split of an identifier vector space formed by the complete range of identifier vectors consisting of a set of fields included in the said data packets ( 112 ); requesting from said determined packet processing unit (PPU 11 to PPU M) an identification of a respective output port ( 114 ) derived from a piece of packet information indicating where to forward said data packet ( 112 ) to; and forwarding said data packet ( 112 ) to said identified output port ( 114 ), wherein the split of the identifier vector space is determined by assigning to each packet processing unit (PPU 11 to PPU M) a numerical quantity resulting of a pseudorandom function (rand) of an identifier indicating said particular packet processing unit (PPU 11 to PPU M) and a piece of information (identifier vector) associated to the data packet ( 112 ) to be processed and selecting said packet processing unit (PPU 11 to PPU M) having the highest numerical quantity assigned.