Patent ID: 8032655

Claim:
A network interface controller configured to facilitate communication among a host and external network connections to a network, comprising: a plurality of scatter gather circuits configured to be connected to the host via a host bus; a packet buffer configured for communication with the scatter gather circuits; a plurality of access circuits configured to access the external network connections; and a forwarding engine selectable to generate routing information corresponding to particular data, received via a particular access circuit from a particular one the external network connections, wherein the particular access circuit is any of the plurality of access circuits, and to provide the routing information to the packet buffer, wherein the network interface controller is configured to selectively operate in at least a switch mode of operation, in which the scatter gather circuits are configured for pass-through communication of the particular data between the packet buffer and host bus, and the forwarding engine is configured to generate the routing information to cause the particular data to be routed between the particular access circuit and the packet buffer; and a hybrid mode of operation, in which the forwarding engine is configured to process the particular data to determine whether the particular data is to be switched to another access circuit, different from the particular access circuit, to be provided to another external network connection, different from the particular external network connection, or whether the particular data is to be provided from the particular access circuit to the packet buffer and from the packet buffer to the scatter gather circuits for delivery to the host.