Processing virtual local area network

A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions executable by an embedded processor of a networking device, the non-transitory machine readable medium comprising:

• instructions to identify, from among packets received at the networking device, a data processing packet that belongs to a processing virtual local area network (VLAN), the data processing packet having a payload;
• instructions to process data included in the payload using a data operation associated with the data processing packet to generate resultant data;
• instructions to store resultant data in the payload;
• and
• instructions to route the data processing packet with resultant data in the payload to a next device.

A method comprising:

• receiving a packet at a networking device connected to a network;
• determining, by the networking device, whether the received packet is a data processing packet that belongs to a processing virtual local area network (ULAN) defined for at least part of the network, the data processing packet having a payload;
• if the packet does not belong to the processing VLAN, forwarding the received packet;
• and
• if the packet belongs to the processing VLAN:
• fetching, by an embedded networking processor of the networking device, an instruction and data associated with the data processing packet,
• executing, by the embedded networking processor, the instruction on the data to generate resultant data,
• storing, by the embedded networking processor, the resultant data in the payload, and
• forwarding the data processing packet with resultant data in the payload to a next device.