Patent ID: 6683875
Filing Date: 2004-01-27
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A network switch comprising a multiplicity of ports for receiving and forwarding addressed data packets each having a destination address and a source address, means for storing packets; means for defining, in respect of each port in said multiplicity of ports; a respective receive queue identifying those addressed data packets of said addressed data packets which are received in sequence by said each port, a forwarding database for containing entries composed of packet addresses and forwarding data; a look-up engine for performing, in respect of a received packet while said received packet is in said respective receive queue, a look-up in said database for the source address and the destination address of said received packet; means for indicating a length of said respective receive queue; and means responsive to the length of the said respective receive queue to prevent the performance of said look-ups of said source addresses of said received packets when said length exceeds a threshold.