Patent ID: 6484207
Filing Date: 2002-11-19
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
In a switch connected to a source network device and one or more destination devices via associated interconnects, the switch having a data buffer associated therewith, a method of storing data, comprising:receiving data from a source network device connected to the switch via the associated interconnect; storing the data in the data buffer; sending a frame storage message indicating that the data has been successfully stored for retrieval by one or more destination devices to the source network device via the associated interconnect, said frame storage message specifying a location of the data in the data buffer; receiving a frame retrieval message associated with the data from one of the destination network devices; sending the data to the one of the destination network devices in response to receiving the frame retrieval message; maintaining a retrieval count that indicates a number of the one or more destination network devices that remain to retrieve the data; receiving a buffer table subtract message to decrement the retrieval count equivalent to a number of the one or more destination network devices that are unable to retrieve the data; and decrementing the retrieval count in response to the buffer table subtract message.