Patent ID: 6092108
Filing Date: 2000-07-18
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A multiported device and switching device combination comprising:a multiported device with a plurality of ports, each of said ports having an associated end user connected thereto via a medium;a switching device providing switching functions, said switching device being connected to said multiported device with said multiported device receiving frames;an application processor associated with said multiported device said application processor including an application processor port having a port bandwidth;an application processor receive buffer for storing frames providing frames to said application processor for processing, said receive buffer having a buffer full data level;a programmable logic unit for controlling frames arriving from said switching device, for monitoring frames forwarded to said ports, for monitoring a level of data in said receive buffer and monitoring a type of frames forwarded to said application processor, each frame being associated with a frame descriptor including data indicating status including a data field with data indicating one of low priority and high priority and a data field indicating whether the frame is a unicast or a broadcast frame said programmable logic unit considers two data level thresholds, including a first less than full receive buffer data level threshold and a second less than full receive buffer data level threshold, said logic unit dropping frames to be sent to said application processor receive buffer which are broadcast frames upon reaching said first threshold and for dropping frames to be sent to said application processor receive buffer which are broadcast frames and which are low priority frames upon reaching said second threshold.