Patent ID: 8289981

Claim:
A network gateway apparatus configured for high-performance network content processing, the apparatus comprising: data storage configured to store computer-readable code and data; a processor configured to execute computer-readable code and to access said data storage; computer-readable code implementing a plurality of packet processors which are configured to execute in an application layer or a kernel layer of a virtual memory space, each packet processor being configured with different processing logic, wherein the plurality of packet processors are configured to apply their processing logic in parallel; computer-readable code implementing a packet handler which is configured to execute in the kernel layer and send incoming packets in parallel to the plurality of packet processors; and a packet processor registration table configured in the kernel layer and indicating which packet processors are to be applied and whether each packet processor to be applied is to be run in a promiscuous or an inline mode, wherein packet processors running in the promiscuous mode are configured to be capable of performing an action and passing on an action to a first packet processor running in the inline mode, and wherein the first packet processor running in the inline mode is configured to be capable of performing actions received from the packet processors running in the promiscuous mode and from itself.