Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises initiating neighbor discovery in response to detecting an absence of an IP destination address of a received data packet within a neighbor cache, including outputting a neighbor solicitation message targeting the IP destination address into a network served by the router, generating a hash index value based on the IP destination address combined with a randomized token stored in the router, and storing the data packet in a selected one of a plurality of pending message queues in the router based on the corresponding hash index value, each pending message queue configured for storing stored data packets having the corresponding hash index value and awaiting respective solicited neighbor advertisement messages from the network; and detecting whether the router is encountering a neighbor discovery denial of service attack based on a determined distribution of the stored data packets among the pending message queues.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of sending, from a processing system, a message to a destination identified in the message, the destination being one of a plurality of destinations, the message being sent via an intermediate module, each of the processing system and the destinations being connected to the intermediate module by individual point-to-point connections, comprising: resolving the address of the destination identified in the message; sending the message and the resolved address across the connection to the intermediate module; and at the intermediate module, receiving the message and resolved address, selecting, based on the resolved address, through which of the point-to-point connections the message should be sent; and sending the message through the selected connection.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of routing a message to one of a plurality of available processing systems, comprising the steps of detecting the presence of a destination identifier in the message, and where the presence of the destination identifier is detected, forwarding the message to the processing system identified thereby. Where the presence of the destination field is not detected the steps of determining a destination processing system for processing the message, inserting into the message a destination identifier identifying the determined destination processing system, and forwarding the message to the determined processing system may be performed.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of outing a message, conveyed in stream through a point-to-point connection to a load-balancing element, to one of a plurality of available processing systems each connected to the load-balancing eilement by separate point-to-point connections, io comprising at the load-balancing element: extracting the message from the stream; detecting in the extracted message the presence of an identifier identifying one of the available processing systems; and where the presence of the identifier is detected, forwarding the message to the processing system identified thereby via the appropriate connection; otherwise determining a destination processing system for processing the message; inserting into the message an identifier identifying the determined destination processing system; and forwarding the message to the processing system via the appropriate connection.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises initiating neighbor discovery in response to detecting an absence of an IP destination address of a received data packet within a neighbor cache, including outputting a neighbor solicitation message targeting the IP destination address into a network served by the router, generating a hash index value based on the IP destination address combined with a randomized token stored in the router, and storing the data packet in a selected one of a plurality of pending message queues in the router based on the corresponding hash index value, each pending message queue configured for storing stored data packets having the corresponding hash index value and awaiting respective solicited neighbor advertisement messages from the network; and detecting whether the router is encountering a neighbor discovery denial of service attack based on a determined distribution of the stored data packets among the pending message queues.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of outing a message, conveyed in stream through a point-to-point connection to a load-balancing element, to one of a plurality of available processing systems each connected to the load-balancing element by separate point-to-point connections, io comprising at the load-balancing element: extracting the message from the stream; detecting in the extracted message the presence of an identifier identifying one of the available processing systems; and where the presence of the identifier is detected, forwarding the message to the processing system identified thereby via the appropriate connection; otherwise determining a destination processing system for processing the message; inserting into the message an identifier identifying the determined destination processing system; and forwarding the message to the processing system via the appropriate connection.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of routing a message to one of a plurality of available processing systems, comprising the steps of detecting the presence of a destination identifier in the message, and where the presence of the destination identifier is detected, forwarding the message to the processing system identified thereby. Where the presence of the destination field is not detected the steps of determining a destination processing system for processing the message, inserting into the message a destination identifier identifying the determined destination processing system, and forwarding the message to the determined processing system may be performed.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of sending, from a processing system, a message to a destination identified in the message, the destination being one, of a plurality of destinations, the message being sent via an intermediate module, each of the processing system and the destinations being connected to the intermediate module by individual point-to-point connections, comprising: resolving the address,-. of the destination identified in the message; sending the message and the resolved address across the connection to the intermediate module; and at the intermediate module, receiving the message and resolved address, selecting, based on the resolved address, through which of the point-to-point connections the message should be sent; and sending the message through the selected connection.