Distribution of network services among multiple service managers without client involvement

An apparatus for managing information in a network environment, comprising:

• a service manager operable to communicate a wildcard affinity update packet to a forwarding agent, wherein the wildcard affinity update packet includes a wildcard affinity element that designates a selected one or more of:
• a specification for a set of source internet protocol (IP) addresses;
• a specification for a set of destination IP addresses;
• a time to live parameter;
• a plurality of IP addresses that correspond to selected virtual IP addresses of server clusters that are to be loadbalanced by the service manager;
• and
• instructions that indicate that a packet matching the wildcard affinity element is to be sent to the service manager.

A forwarding agent, comprising:

• a service manager receiving interface operable to receive a plurality of requests from a plurality of service managers for packets meeting a plurality of criteria, wherein a selected one or more of the service managers communicate a set of instructions to the service manager receiving interface that includes an affinity key indicating how to manage one or more packets, the affinity key being operable to be used by the service manager to identify which flows that include the packets should propagate through the first forwarding agent, and wherein the affinity key includes a selected one or more of a group of elements consisting of:
• a source internet protocol (IP) address;
• a destination IP address;
• a source port number;
• a destination port number;
• and
• a protocol identification;
• a network interface operable to receive packets from devices on a network;
• a processor operable to check the packets to determine whether the packets meet a selected one of the plurality of criteria;
• and
• a service manager sending interface operable to communicate packets that meet one of the plurality of criteria to one of the plurality of service managers that corresponds to the selected one of the plurality of criteria.

A system for managing packets, comprising:

• means for receiving a first portion of a traffic flow at a first forwarding agent, wherein the traffic flow propagates from a network and is initiated by one or more clients;
• means for receiving a second portion of the traffic flow at a second forwarding agent;
• means for checking packets included in the traffic flow at the forwarding agents to determine whether the packets meet a first criteria or a second criteria;
• means for processing the packets based on the determination of whether they meet the first or second criteria in order to direct one or more of the packets to a selected one of a plurality of servers;
• and
• means for receiving instructions that include an affinity key which indicates how one or more of the packets are to be managed, the affinity kev being operable to be used by the service manager to identify which flows that include the packets should propagate through the first forwarding agent, wherein the affinity key includes a selected one or more of a group of elements consisting of:
• a source Internet protocol (IP) address;
• a destination IP address;
• a source port number;
• a destination port number;
• and
• a protocol identification.

A computer readable medium for handling packets, the medium having code operable to:

• receive a plurality of requests from a plurality of service managers for packets meeting a plurality of criteria;
• receive packets from a network at a plurality of forwarding agents;
• check the packets to determine whether the packets meet a selected one of the plurality of criteria;
• communicate selected packets that meet the selected one of the plurality of criteria to a selected one of the plurality of service managers that corresponds to the selected one of the plurality of criteria;
• and
• receive instructions that include an affinity key that indicates how to manage selected packets, the affinity key being operable to be used by the service manager to identify which flows that include the packets should propagate through the first forwarding agent, wherein the affinity key includes a selected one or more of a group of elements consisting of:
• a source internet protocol (IP) address;
• a destination IP address;
• a source port number;
• a destination port number;
• and
• a protocol identification.