Patent ID: 8180897

Claim:
Apparatus for handling service requests over a network, wherein the network utilizes a protocol, the apparatus comprising: a network subsystem including a network receive interface for receiving service requests from the network using the network protocol and a network transmit interface for transmitting service responses to the network using the network protocol, the network subsystem further including a service output and a service input; and a service subsystem for satisfying a first predetermined set of the network service requests, the service subsystem having (a) a service request receive interface coupled to the service output of the network subsystem and (b) a service request transmit interface coupled to the service input of the network subsystem for delivering data to the network subsystem satisfying the first predetermined set of network service requests; the network subsystem including a first hardware data path running in a first direction from the network receive interface through the network subsystem to the service subsystem via the service output, a second hardware data path running in a second direction from the service subsystem via the service input through the network subsystem to the network transmit interface, and a processor for satisfying a second predetermined set of network service requests, the first hardware data path including a receive engine configured to selectively de-encapsulate data received via the network receive interface and convey de-encapsulated data associated with the first predetermined set of network service requests to the service subsystem via the service output entirely in hardware without handling by the processor and convey de-encapsulated data associated with the second predetermined set of network service requests to the processor for handling by the processor, the second hardware data path including a transmit engine configured to selectively transmit data satisfying the first predetermined set of network service requests, received from the service subsystem via the service input, to the network via the network transmit interface entirely in hardware without handling by the processor.