Patent ID: 6256313
Filing Date: 2001-07-03
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method of controlling the flow of data packets in a multi-port bridge having a plurality of ports interconnected to a memory device by a communication bus, the multi-port bridge for interconnecting a plurality of segments of a local area network, the method comprising steps of:a. receiving a data packet into a receive buffer in a source port for the packet, the packet having a destination address, a source address and a data field and the packet being received from a segment associated with the source port;b. looking up the destination address in a table for determining a destination port for the packet;c. assigning a location in the memory device to the packet;d. forming a triplet for the packet wherein the triplet includes a first field for identifying the source port, a second field for identifying the destination port, and a third field for identifying the location assigned to the packet in the memory device;e. placing the triplet on the communication bus a first time;f. loading the packet into the memory device at the location in the memory device assigned to the packet;g. placing the triplet on the communication bus a second time;h. storing the triplet in a triplet buffer in the destination port;i. receiving the packet into a transmit buffer in the destination port from the location assigned to the packet in the memory device; andj. transmitting the packet to a segment associated with the destination port for the packet.