System and method for real-time load balancing of network packets

A method for routing data packets at a packet flow switch, comprising:

• determine if packets received from a monitored network is one of a control packet or one of a user plane packet utilizing a plurality of network probes each configured and operative to generate an ASI data set including key performance indicators and Adaptive Session Records;
• responsive to determining the received packet is a control plane packet, causing the control plane packet to be distributed to each of the plurality of network probes;
• responsive to identifying that a user plane packet is associated with a new session-instance not already monitored by a network probe, assigning the user plane packet to one of the plurality of network probes and updating a session-instance database to include an identified packet session-instance if determined a new session-instance, the assigning comprising:
• selecting one of the network probes;
• saving an identifier of the selected network probe and associating a packet session-instance identifier with the saved identifier of the selected network probe;
• and
• sending the user plane packet to the selected network probe;
• and
• purging a control packet from each of the probes it is distributed to contingent upon prescribed criteria;
• and
• purging a packet session-instance from the session-instance database when a control plane packet associated with the packet session-instance is purged from each of the probes.