Patent ID: 7359380

Claim:
A method for routing a packet using a routing table that is cross-linked with a state table that is indexed with an address resolution table index, the packet having an Internet Protocol destination address and a media access control destination address in a data structure, the method comprising: determining whether a media access control destination address for the packet matches an interface of the packet; determining whether the packet contains a routable protocol responsive to the media access control destination address matching the interface; if the packet contains the routable protocol, checking for layer-level validity of the packet; marking the data structure associated with the packet to indicate the layer-level validity was checked; checking for Internet Protocol options being supported and valid; and marking the data structure associated with the packet to indicate the Internet Protocol options were checked for support and validity; and if the layer-level is valid and the Internet Protocol options are supported and valid, accessing the Internet Protocol destination address from the packet; looking for the Internet Protocol destination address in the routing table; obtaining an address resolution table index stored in association with the Internet Protocol destination address in the routing table responsive to the Internet Protocol destination address being found in the routing table, wherein the address resolution table index obtained is an index into the state table for locating an entry in the state table; and storing in the data structure associated with the packet the address resolution table index obtained.