Service Node Using Services Applied by an Application Node

An application node, comprising:

• one or more processing elements;
• memory;
• a plurality of interfaces configured to send and receive packets;
• and
• wherein the application is configured to perform operations, including:
• receiving on one of the plurality of interfaces by the application node of one or more application nodes a request packet from a particular service node different from said one or more application nodes, including:
• a particular packet, an identification a general service to be applied to the particular packet by said one or more application nodes, and one or more service parameters for the general service defining a particular service of the general service, with the identification of the general service and said one or more service parameters said included in the request packet in fields not within the particular packet;
• extracting the particular packet from said received request packet;
• applying the particular service to the particular packet, such that the result of said applying operation is a service-applied packet corresponding to the particular packet;
• creating a response packet corresponding to said received request packet, with the response packet encapsulating the service-applied packet;
• and
• sending the response packet to:
• the particular service node, or another application node for applying one or more additional services to the service-applied packet before a packet derived from the service-applied packet is communicated to the particular service node;
• wherein the particular service node and the application node are different stand-alone appliances communicatively coupled via one or more networks.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, by a packet switching device from another packet switching device via a network, a particular packet;
• and
• in response to determining by the packet switching device to apply a particular service to the particular packet by one or more application nodes located remotely from the packet switching device:
• creating, by the packet switching device, a request packet encapsulating the particular packet, with the request packet including one or more additional attributes for the particular service to be applied to the particular packet by said one or more application nodes, with said one or more additional attributes said included in the request packet in fields not within the particular packet;
• forwarding, by the packet switching device, the request packet to a particular application node of said one or more application nodes, wherein each of said one or more application nodes is external to the packet switching device;
• receiving, by the packet switching device from an external source, a response packet corresponding to said forwarded request packet, the response packet encapsulating a service-applied packet corresponding to the particular packet after at least the particular service has been applied to the particular packet, not to the request packet, by said one or more application nodes;
• extracting the service-applied packet from the response packet;
• and
• sending the service-applied packet or a packet derived from the service-applied packet from the packet switching device;
• wherein the packet switching device, said another packet switching device, and each of said one or more application nodes are different stand-alone appliances communicatively coupled via one or more networks.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, by an application node of one or more application nodes in a network, a request packet from a particular service node different from said one or more application nodes requesting a particular service, with the request packet including one or more additional attributes and a particular packet, with said one or more additional attributes said included in the request packet in fields not within the particular packet;
• extracting the particular packet from said received request packet;
• applying, by the application node, the particular service to the particular packet based on said one or more additional attributes, such that the result of said applying operation is a service-applied packet corresponding to the particular packet;
• creating, by the application node, a response packet corresponding to said received request packet, with the response packet encapsulating the service-applied packet;
• and
• sending the response packet to:
• the particular service node, or another application node for applying one or more additional services to the service-applied packet before a packet derived from the service-applied packet is communicated to the particular service node;
• wherein the particular service node and the application node are different stand-alone appliances communicatively coupled via one or more networks.