Patent ID: 7139267

Claim:
A network switch system, comprising: a plurality of network switches for providing an exchange of network packets, each of the network switches comprising; a forwarding database; and a component providing at least one refresh packet, provided upon receiving the network packets, to synchronize the forwarding databases of the plurality of network switches; wherein each of the plurality of network switches registers the at least one refresh packet to the forwarding database of the network switch upon receiving the refresh packets, and wherein the plurality of network switches include a first switch and a second switch, each having a forwarding database, the first switch sending a refresh packet to the second switch when a) the first switch receives a network packet containing address information indicating that the forwarding database of the first switch has no corresponding address entry, or b) the first switch receives a network packet containing address information indicating that a corresponding address entry in the forwarding database of the second network switch has expired.