Patent ID: 6487199
Filing Date: 2002-11-26
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
An apparatus for maintaining copy information pertaining to data frames received by a multiport switch that forwards received data frames to plural output ports, the apparatus comprising:a random access storage area having storage cells logically arranged in rows and columns, located on the multiport switch, for storing copy information indicating the number of copies of a designated data frame that have not yet been transmitted from one of said plural output ports; and control logic, located on the multiport switch, for addressing said random access storage area using frame pointers that also identify locations in an external memory where received data frames are stored, each said frame pointer including at least two portions decodable by said control logic to respectively indicate a specific row and specific column of the random access storage area at which the copy number value of a designated data frame is stored, wherein said control logic uses the ten most significant bits and 3 least significant bits of each frame pointer to respectively address the specific row and specific column of each cell in said random access storage area.