Patent ID: 8797874

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a network node coupled to an internal network, wherein the internal network comprises a router, a plurality of internal nodes, and either an edge node or a forwarding node, wherein the network node is configured to forward a packet designated to the internal network based on service reachability information that indicates that the packet is to be forwarded to at least one of the internal nodes, wherein the packet does not identify an individual address for the at least one internal node, wherein the packet is forwarded to the at least one internal node using a public address based on information returned subsequent to a query of an internal logic unit, wherein the public address designates the internal network or a cluster of routers or servers, wherein the internal logic unit is configured to maintain the service reachability information in an interior Forwarding Information Base (iFIB), wherein the service reachability information comprises information sufficient to allow load balancing and migration between the internal nodes in the internal network, wherein the iFIB comprises record key information that indicates a mandatory flow for service reachability and an ingress interface for the corresponding flow, and wherein the mandatory flow corresponds to one of an Ethernet flow, an Internet Protocol (IP) version 4 (IPv4) flow at Layer 3, and an IP version 6 (IPv6) flow at Layer 3.