Patent ID: 7257134

Claim:
A method of synchronizing information held in a switching database associated with a switching function of a data switching node, with a data network node identifier record associated with a management processor, the method comprising the steps of: selectively modifying an entry in the switching database based on header information extracted from protocol data units processed by the data switching node; selectively setting a status specifier of said entry to signify a modification of said entry; adjusting an adjustable timer to match an average rate of change of the information held in the switching database with one of an allocated processing bandwidth of the management processor and a processing speed of the management processor; initiating an inspection of the switching database on the expiration of the adjustable timer; identifying as part of said inspection, whether said entry was modified; and selectively synchronizing upon identifying said entry was modified, the information held in said entry with the data network node identifier record, whereby a pacing of selectively synchronizing the information held in the switching database entry with the data network node identifier record is isolated from time burst changes to the information held in the switching database.