1. A system for adaptively parsing received frames that include data units having multiple field values formatted according to at least one of a set of network protocols used in a communication network, the system comprising: a memory storing information suited to resolve the at least one of the set of network protocols; a preprocessor configured to interact with the memory to provide a type classification for a first frame and generate a layer code based upon said type classification wherein said layer code delineates selected field values in said first frame corresponding to a protocol format of a resolved one of the set of network protocols; a dual-port memory coupled to said preprocessor and operative to concurrently receive said first frame and said layer code; an instruction memory operatively coupled to said dual-port memory, said instruction memory storing layer offsets associated with said selected field values delineated by said layer code and at least one instruction that is selected based upon the type classification of said first frame; a parsing engine communicatively coupled to said instruction memory and said dual-port memory in a feed-forward data flow connection and a feed-back dataflow connection, the feed-forward dataflow connection operative to provide said parsing engine with the at least one instruction and with said layer offsets for accessing the selected field values in said first frame, said parsing engine being adapted to parse said first frame according to said at least one instruction and generate an output indicative of a classification of said first frame, said feed-back dataflow connection affecting communication between said parsing engine and at least one of said instruction memory and said dual-port memory by forwarding at least a portion of said output to said instruction memory for use in refining of said at least one instruction targeted for execution on and to said dual-port memory for re-inputting to said parsing engine through said feed-forward dataflow connection.