Forwarding database in a network switch device
US7646773B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 2, 2004 |
| Grant date | Jan 12, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 10, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L12/4641
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A layer-2 network switch device forwarding database implementation and method to access the forwarding database. A forwarding database (FDB) is implemented as a tree. A separate VLAN database is also structured as a tree. Each node in the tree represents a separate VLAN. For each VLAN, all associated ports are maintained in a data structure organized as a tree. Likewise, all port information is maintained in a tree-based data structure, and for each port, all VLAN information associated with the port is maintained in a tree data structure. Each node in a VLAN's port tree data structure is linked with each corresponding node in the port's VLAN tree data structure. Each pair of nodes maintains a linked list of all FDB entries relating to the node pair. Operations are quickly and efficiently performed on the FDB using the data structure architecture.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.