Abstract: A controllable mechanism for by-passing Layer 4 (L4) classification is based on the insertion into a set of Layer 3 (L3) rules in an L3 lookup tree set of Layer 4 (L4) Classification Required Flags. The state of the L4 classification flag is set by comparing the L4 classification rule to an IP (Internet Protocol) lookup rule. Routing is accomplished by selecting which rule to apply to the data packet and reading the state of the corresponding L4 Classification Required Flag. In response to a first state of the corresponding L4 Classification Required Flag, an L4 classification is performed followed by a routing of the data packet. In response to a second state of the corresponding L4 Classification Required Flag performing a routing of said data packet. In a second embodiment, the method inserts into a set of L3 rules in L3 lookup means a set L4 Classification Required Flags and Global Flags.

Abstract: A controllable mechanism for by-passing Layer 4 (L4) classification is based on the insertion into a set of MAC rules in SA MAC lookup means a set of Layer 4 (L4) Skip Classification Flags. Routing is accomplished by selecting which rule to apply to the packet and reading the state of the corresponding L4 Skip Classification Flag. In response to a first state of said corresponding L4 Skip Classification Flag, performing an L4 classification followed by a routing of the data packet. In response to a second state of said corresponding L4 Skip Classification Flag, reading the state of a Global Classification Flag. In response to a first state of said Global Classification Flag, performing an L4 classification followed by a routing of said data packet. In response to a second state of said Global Classification Flag performing a routing of the data packet.

Abstract: A network server permits clients on the network to access one or more local resources managed by the network server and one or more remote resources managed by one or more respective remote computers coupled to the network server. When a client desires to access any of the resources, the client first requests a session or log-on to the network server by supplying a valid account name and password. Either with the session establishment request or subsequently during the same session, the client requests a connection or access to a resource. The client need not know the location of the resource or the computer (remote or network server) which manages the resource. The network server determines which computer manages the requested resource. If the network server manages the resource, then the network server determines if the connection is available or provides the access as requested and responds to the client.