Patent ID: 8046487

Claim:
A method for routing of data packets, comprising the steps: (a) extracting a destination address identifier from a data packet to be forwarded, (b) compressing the destination address identifier using a compression algorithm, (c) comparing the compressed destination address identifier with forwarding addresses available for routing, which forwarding addresses have been compressed using the compression algorithm and stored as entries of a routing table, (d) if a positive comparison between the compressed destination address identifier and an entry stored in the routing table is found in step (c), then switching the data packet to an output link associated with the forwarding address corresponding to the entry, and wherein each entry of the routing table comprises a compressed forwarding address and an output link number, and that, if a positive comparison between the compressed destination address identifier and a compressed forwarding address in an entry stored in the routing table is found, the data packet is switched to an output link associated with the output link number in the entry.