Patent ID: 8644326

Claim:
A method of processing data packets in a switching device comprising a plurality of ingress and egress ports, each port being arranged to store a respective state parameter for each unique ingress flow passing through said port, each ingress flow being associated with one of a plurality of entities, the switching device being arranged to switch data packets received at one of said ports to another one of said ports, each data packet being associated with one of said plurality of entities, each of said entities being distinct from said switching device, the method comprising: receiving a first data packet at a first one of said ports, the first data packet being associated with a first one of said entities; storing said received first data packet in a buffer at the switching device; storing first state parameter data associated with said first data packet at the switching device, the first state parameter data being based upon a value of a state parameter stored at the first port and associated with said first entity; and processing said first data packet in said buffer based upon said first associated state parameter data and said state parameter stored at the first port; receiving a second data packet at a second one of said plurality of ports, the data packet being associated with said first one of said entities; storing said received second data packet in a buffer at the switching device; storing second state parameter data associated with said second data packet at the switching device, the second state parameter data being based upon a value of a state parameter stored at the second port and associated with said first entity; and processing said second data packet in said buffer based upon said second associated state parameter data and said state parameter stored at the second port; wherein each state parameter is updateable in response to at least one event associated with an entity associated with said unique ingress flow, the state parameter data indicating an operational state of said entity.