An integrated circuit includes an input port, a first Characterize/Classify/Table Lookup and Multiplexer Circuit (CCTC), a second CCTC, and an exact-match flow table structure. The first and second CCTCs are structurally identical. The first and second CCTs are coupled together serially. In one example, an incoming packet is received onto the integrated circuit via the input port and packet information is supplied to a first characterizer of the first CCTC. Information flow passes through the classifier of the first CCT, through the Table Lookup and Multiplexer Circuit (TLMC) of the first CCT, through the characterizer of the second CCT, through the classifier of the second CCT, and out of the TLMC of the second CCT in the form of a Flow Id. The Flow Id is supplied to the exact-match flow table structure to determine whether an exact-match for the Flow Id is found in the flow table structure.