1. An apparatus for processing a packet comprising: a plurality of clusters, each cluster including a plurality of processors for processing lookup requests and a local memory storing a set of rules; at least one of the plurality of clusters being configured to: generate a work product associated with one of the lookup requests, the work product corresponding to a process of rule-matching at least one field of a packet associated with the lookup request; determine whether to forward the work product to another of the plurality of clusters; and based on the determination, forward the work product to another of the plurality of clusters.