Patent ID: 6606317
Filing Date: 2003-08-12
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
For use with a communication system in which a data packet is to be multicast to a plurality of recipients, a method of buffering and controllably supplying said data packet for delivery to multiple ones of a plurality of output ports associated with said recipients comprising the steps of:(a) storing said data packet in only a single data packet storage location of a data packet buffer; (b) storing, in a content-addressable memory, a plurality of respectively different address pointer words, each address pointer word containing a respectively different key field that is used to identify one of said plurality of output ports, and an address field that identifies said single data packet storage location of said packet buffer in which said data packet is stored; (c) coupling a key to said respectively different key fields of said respectively different address pointer words stored in said content addressable memory, so as to access contents of the address field of an address pointer word whose key field matches said key; (d) reading said data packet from said single data packet storage location of said packet buffer in accordance with said address field contents accessed in step (c); and (e) coupling said address field contents accessed in step (c) to the address fields of said respectively different address pointer words stored in said content-addressable memory to determine whether said single data packet storage location of said data packet buffer is available to store a new data packet.