Adaptive router architecture providing a rate limiting mechanism

A method of providing a network service in a router, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a packet stream in a forwarding element card of the router at a first rate;
• determining in the forwarding element card that a further card of the router needs to treat the received packet stream in order to provide at least a portion of the network service;
• upon determination in the forwarding element card, forwarding the network traffic from the forwarding element card to a switching element card of the router at the first rate;
• and
• forwarding the packet stream from the switching element card to the further card at a second rate lower than the first rate, thereby providing a rate limiting protection to the further card.

A switching element card providing a rate limiting mechanism in a router, the switching element card comprising:

• a switching unit capable of:
• receiving a packet stream from a forwarding element card of the router at a first rate;
• determining that the packet stream is to be forwarded to a further card of the router;
• and
• if the further card has a treatment rate lower than the first rate, passing the packet stream to a rate limiting mechanism before forwarding the packet stream to the further card.