Patent ID: 6172980
Filing Date: 2001-01-09
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A network bridge/router for identifying a receive protocol of a received data unit and for routing said data unit according to said protocol, comprising:a header processor comprisingregister files for receiving a received data unit header,a control store of microcode,a microsequencer, associated with said register files and said control store, for identifying whether said data unit is to be routed, and if so which of a set of microcode routines stored in said control store is to be executed for said data unit, based upon identification of said receive protocol by said microsequencer of said received data unit header in said register files,a logical link control (LLC) table,a protocol type table, anda microcode jump table,wherein said microsequencer is further for:parsing said received data unit header in said register files based upon said received protocol to identify either a logical link control (LLC) value or a protocol type (TYPE) value associated with said received data unit,indexing a first of said LLC table and said protocol type table using said identified LLC or TYPE value, said indexed table for providing a protocol identifier associated with said received data unit,indexing, in said microcode jump table, said microcode routine to be executed for said data unit using said protocol identifier, andprocessing said received data unit according to said microcode routine.