Patent ID: 7860096
Filing Date: 2010-12-28
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a switch in a communications network, the method comprising: storing a set of routings in each port in the switch, wherein the set of routings stored in each port is specific to the port in which the set of routings is contained; receiving a packet at a port in the switch; accessing the set of routings corresponding to the port at which the packet was received and determining a port from which to forward the packet from the switch in accordance with said set of routings; forwarding the received packet from the port where the packet is received to an output buffer of each output port on the switch; transmitting a receive enable signal to a selected one of the output buffers, wherein said selected output buffer corresponds to said determined port; determining whether a respective output buffer receives the receive enable signal; in response to the respective output buffer not receiving the receive enable signal, discarding the received packet from the respective output buffer; in response to the respective output buffer receiving the receive enable signal, storing the received packet at the respective output buffer; and sending the packet over the network by forwarding the packet from said determined port.