An active node of a communications network includes a forwarding component for forwarding a packet of an active application, a processor for processing the packet, and a forwarding control component for modifying path data associated with the packet, based on the processing. The forwarding component can forward said packet directly to the network or via the processor. The processing can include executing code contained within the packet, and/or executing code to process application data in the packet. The path data can include the MPLS label stack of the packet and/or MPLS tables of the forwarding component. To allow processing based on multiple labels of a packet, the forwarding component can include a loopback connection between its input and output ports.