Data processing system and method

1. A data processing method comprising

processing, with a first protocol stack implemented executing on a first processor of a multi-processor system, communications directed to and from a first application executed on the first processor, the first processor being identified by a first processor identifier;

migrating the first application from the first processor to a second processor of the multiprocessor system for execution on the second processor, the second processor implementing a second protocol stack processing communications directed to and from applications executed on the second processor, the second processor being identified by a second processor identifier;

transmitting an outbound communication from the first application to an entity external to the multi-processor system after migration of the first application, a connection identifier in the outbound communication being associated, in a data structure, with the first processor identifier prior to migration of the first application;

in response to transmission of the outbound communication, extracting the connection identifier from the outbound communication, and updating the data structure to associate the connection identifier with the second processor identifier;

accessing the data structure to obtain the second processor identifier in response to an inbound communication directed from the external entity to the first application; and

directing the inbound communication to the second protocol stack based on the second processor identifier.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the outbound communication is processed by the second protocol stack and the second processor identifier is determined based on the outbound communication being processed by the second protocol stack.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the connection identifier identifies a connection by which the first application communicates with the external entity.

4. A multiprocessor system comprising:

an operating system of a multiprocessor system, the operating system comprising a first protocol stack and a second protocol stack;

a first processor to execute a first application, the first processor to implement the first protocol stack, the first protocol stack to process communications directed to and from applications executed on the first processor, and the first processor being identified by a first processor identifier;

a second processor to execute applications a second application and to implement the second protocol stack, the second protocol stack processing communications directed to and from the applications executed on the second processor, and the second processor being identified by a second processor identifier; and

a packet switch to:

transmit an outbound communication from the first application to an entity external to the multi-processor system after the first application has been migrated from the first processor to the second processor, a connection identifier in the outbound communication being associated, in a data structure, with the first processor identifier prior to migration of the first application

in response to transmission of the outbound communication, extract the connection identifier from the outbound communication, and update the data structure to associate the connection identifier with the second processor identifier;

direct an inbound communication received from an entity external to the multi-processing system to the second protocol stack based on the second processor identifier.

5. A method as defined in claim 4 , wherein the inbound communication includes the connection identifier, the method further comprising:

extracting the connection identifier from the inbound communication, wherein the extracted connection identifier is used to obtain the second processor identifier from the data structure.

6. A system as defined in claim 4 , wherein the outbound communication is processed by the second protocol stack, and the second processor identifier is determined based on the outbound communication being processed by the second protocol stack.

7. A system as defined in claim 4 wherein the packet switch is further to extract the connection identifier from the inbound communication and use the connection identifier to obtain the second processor identifier from the data structure.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein the connection identifier includes an address of the external entity.

9. A tangible machine readable storage device comprising machine readable instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

process, with a first protocol stack implemented execute a first application on a first processor of a multiprocessor system communications directed to a first application executed on the first processor, the first processor being identified by a first processor identifier;

migrate the first application from the first processor to a second processor implementing a second protocol stack, the second protocol stack to process communications directed to and from applications executed on the second processor , and the second processor being identified by a second processor identifier;

transmit an outbound communication from the first application to an entity external to the multi-processor system after migration of the first application, a connection identifier in the outbound communication being associated, in a data structure, with the first processor identifier prior to migration of the first application;

in response to transmission of the outbound communication, extract the connection identifier from the outbound communication, and update the data structure to associate the connection identifier with the second processor identifier;

access the data structure to obtain the second identifier in response to an inbound communication directed from the external entity to the first application; and

direct the inbound communication to the second protocol stack based on the second processor identifier.

10. A machine readable storage device as defined in claim 9 wherein the outbound communication is processed by the second protocol stack and the second identifier is determined based on the outbound communication being processed by the second protocol stack.

11. A machine readable storage device as defined in claim 9 wherein the connection identifier identifies a connection by which the first application communicates with the external entity.

12. A machine readable storage device as defined in claim 9 wherein the inbound communication includes the connection identifier and the instructions further cause the machine to extract the connection identifier from the inbound communication, the connection identifier to facilitate obtaining the second identifier from the data structure.

13. A machine readable storage device as defined in claim 9 wherein the connection identifier includes an address of the external entity.