Configuration of forwarding rules using the address resolution protocol

A host configured to provide an application and configured to configure forwarding rules in a traffic distributor using an address resolution protocol, the host comprising:

• an input/output unit configured to receive IP data packets distributed by the traffic distributor to a plurality of different hosts located in a first network based on a predefined forwarding criterion contained in the forwarding rules,
• an application to be applied to the received IP data packets,
• a processing unit configured to determine whether a predefined operating status of the host is met, the processing unit being a hardware component,
• an interface configured to transmit a message of the address resolution protocol to the traffic distributor, and
• a message generating unit configured to generate messages according to an address resolution protocol, wherein if the processing unit determines that the predefined operating status is met, the message generating unit generates the message using the address resolution protocol containing information for which at least one characteristic of the predefined forwarding criterion the IP data packets should be forwarded to the host, the message furthermore containing a configuring indicator by which the traffic distributor is initiated to generate the forwarding rule for the host taking into account the at least one characteristic contained in the message, wherein the interface is configured to transmit the generated message to the traffic distributor.

A traffic distributor configured to generate forwarding rules used by the traffic distributor to distribute IP data packets to a plurality of hosts based on a predefined forwarding criterion contained in the forwarding rules, the traffic distributor comprising:

• an interface configured to receive a message generated with an address resolution protocol from one of the plurality of hosts, the message containing information for which at least one characteristic of the predefined forwarding criterion the IP data packets should be forwarded to the host from which the message is received, the message furthermore containing a configuring indicator by which the traffic distributor is initiated to generate a forwarding rule for the host from which the message is received taking into account the at least one characteristic contained in the message,
• a processing unit configured to generate forwarding rules for IP data packets, the processing unit being a hardware component, wherein the processing unit is configured to generate the forwarding rule for the host from which the message is received based on the configuring indicator contained in the message received, the processing unit generating, for the host from which the message is received, the generated forwarding rule containing the at least one characteristic contained in the received message, and
• a distribution unit configured to distribute the IP data packets to the plurality of hosts, wherein the distribution unit is configured to distribute IP data packets to said one host based on the generated forwarding rule.