Patent ID: 7864782

Claim:
A packet processing method in an ethernet switch system, comprising: when a routing table does not have routing information corresponding to an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a destination host of a first packet transmitted from a source host, setting imaginary routing information corresponding to the IP address of the destination host in the routing table and transmitting an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request packet to the IP address of the destination host to acquire routing information of the destination host, transmitting the ARP request packet comprising transmitting the ARP request packet to the destination host by a preset number; upon receiving a second packet headed for the IP address of the destination host from the source host before an ARP response packet is received in accordance with the ARP request packet and before the routing information corresponding to the IP address of the destination host is acquired, switching the second packet based on the imaginary routing information set in the routing table, the imaginary routing information set in the routing table comprising at least one of an imaginary Media Access Control (MAC) address corresponding to the IP address of the destination host and dummy port information; when the ARP response packet in accordance with the ARP request packet is not received from the destination host by the preset number, canceling the imaginary routing information from the routing table; and upon receiving a third packet from the source host, resetting new imaginary routing information comprising imaginary MAC address and dummy port information, and based on the reset imaginary routing information, transmitting a second ARP request packet to a second destination host to acquire actual routing information of the second destination host.