Patent ID: 7830896

Claim:
A router, comprising: a network interface that is coupled to a data network for receiving one or more packet flows therefrom; a processor; one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform: receiving, at a last node associated with a selected server among a plurality of servers, a first packet of a server reply to a client request from a client; storing one or more identifiers of ingress interfaces on which the first packet arrives, in a send path list in a header of the first packet of the server reply, as the first packet of the server reply is routed from the selected server to the client using hop-by-hop decisions; wherein the send path list comprises an ordered list of all ingress interfaces on which the first packet arrived; receiving one or more subsequent packets of the client request; forwarding the one or more subsequent packets to the selected server on a route that is defined by the send path list and without hop-by-hop routing decisions.