Patent ID: 8176164

Claim:
A network device for managing communications between client devices and a plurality of server devices, comprising: a memory device that stores executable instructions; and a central processing unit that executes the instructions to perform actions, including: receiving from a first client device a specified data item within a received application level communication and an other data item received as part of a secure communication protocol; employing the specified data item and the other data item to create a first persistence key useable to direct packets from the first client device to a target; receiving other packets from a second client device, the other packets including at least data about the first client device; combining data from the other packets, including the data about the first client device, to create a second persistence key; when a mapping between the second persistence key and an other target is not found, modifying fields within the second persistence key such that a mapping to the first persistence key is located; and using the mapping of the first persistence key to identify the target, such that packets received from the second client device are directed to the same target as the first client device.