In an embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes: storing, in at least one hardware module of a network device having a plurality of ports, attributes for at least one access control list and associated actions that cause network packets received at one of the plurality of ports that match the attributes for the at least one access control list, to be directed into a service chain that includes at least a first network processing application specified according to a port and a second network processing application specified according to an internet protocol (IP) address; and directing a received network packet that matches the attributes for the at least one access control list into the service chain.