Packet characterization using code vectors
First Claim
1. An internetworking device having a plurality of states and comprising:
- at least one ethernet MAC;
at least one FDDI MAC;
a frame processor; and
a code vector generator in electrical communication with said frame processor, said at least one FDDI MAC, and said at least one ethernet MAC,said code vector generator generating in hardware a code vector in response to a data packet arriving at one of said at least one ethernet MAC and at least one FDDI MAC and in response to a present state of said internetworking device,said frame processor executing predetermined code in response to said code vector generated by said code vector generator to transmit said data packet from said internetworking device.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for increasing the throughput of a communications internetworking device. The method involves the generating, by internetworking device hardware, of a predetermined code vector in response to the current state of the communications internetworking device and information contained in a data packet received by the internetworking device. In response to the hardware generated predetermined code vector, a predetermined software routine is executed by a microprocessor in the internetworking device which controls how the data packet is to be transmitted to its destination. By using hardware to generate the code vector, time is saved over having software determine how the internetworking device is to handle the data packet.
111 Citations
6 Claims
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1. An internetworking device having a plurality of states and comprising:
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at least one ethernet MAC; at least one FDDI MAC; a frame processor; and a code vector generator in electrical communication with said frame processor, said at least one FDDI MAC, and said at least one ethernet MAC, said code vector generator generating in hardware a code vector in response to a data packet arriving at one of said at least one ethernet MAC and at least one FDDI MAC and in response to a present state of said internetworking device, said frame processor executing predetermined code in response to said code vector generated by said code vector generator to transmit said data packet from said internetworking device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of transmitting a data packet from a internetworking device having a plurality of states and comprising at least one ethernet MAC, at least one FDDI MAC, a frame processor and a hardware code vector generator in electrical communication with said frame processor, said at least one FDDI MAC, and said at least one ethernet MAC, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving said data packet at one of said at least one ethernet MAC and at least one FDDI MAC; generating in said hardware code vector generator, a code vector in response to said data packet arriving at one of said at least one ethernet MAC and at least one FDDI MAC and in response to a present state of said internetworking device; and executing, with said frame processor, predetermined code in response to said code vector generated by said code vector generator to transmit said packet from said internetworking device. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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Specification