An apparatus includes a processor and a silicon switch. The silicon switch includes a network port to exchange packets of data with one or more networks and a packet classifier to select packets that satisfy one or more packet classification rules. Each of the packet classification rules describes at least one packet characteristic. The silicon switch further includes an action circuit to perform actions in response to processor commands. The processor generates each of the processor commands based on a plurality of the selected packets. The processor performs comparisons between each of the selected packets and at least one pattern, and generates the processor commands based on a history of results of the comparisons. The processor executes a computer program written in a scripting language. The computer program performs the comparisons. A pattern is added to the computer program at runtime without rebooting the apparatus.