A method and apparatus are provided for permitting selected requests to a data processing system received in a selected packetized format, and in particular hard real time requests, to receive accelerated “fast” processing. Each packet includes a field normally used for controlling routing of the request, for example a “port” field, which may contain selected codes for requests to receive fast processing. A table containing such special codes and an address pointer for each such code is also stored, incoming requests having a code in the selected field matching a code in the table being routed either for priority processing by an application at the pointer address, bypassing certain preliminary processing, or being routed to incorporate data at a buffer located at the pointer address into a packetized reply message.