Patent · US Expired

Address search apparatus and method in ethernet switch

US7307988B1 · kind B1 · utility

5Cited by
25References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 22, 2000
Grant dateDec 11, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 11, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L49/3009
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for performing an efficient address search in an ethernet switch having a plurality of ports. Information packets where the source and destination addresses are one and the same are rejected and not processed. When destination address is not in a local port, the main look up table for the entire switch is then consulted. If the main look up table does not have the destination address, the main look up table learns the address and the port broadcasts the information packet to all ports in the switch. A hash algorithm is used to look up addresses in tables. Thus, more efficient processing of information in the switch can be realized.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.