Multicast frame support in hardware routing assist

A system for increasing processing efficiency associated with data frames transiting a network node having multiple ports, said system comprising:

• means for receiving a data frame having a header and data;
• means for creating a number of pointers necessary to construct a requisite number of data frames from copies of said received data frame;
• means for creating one or more data frames from said received data frame utilizing said created number of pointers;
• means for providing one or more associated pointers for said one or more created data frames;
• and
• means for modifying each of said one or more created data frames independent of other created data frames via utilization of a given one of said associated pointers.

A program product for increasing processing efficiency associated with data frames transiting a network node having multiple ports, said program product comprising:

• means for receiving a data frame having a header and data;
• means for creating a number of pointers necessary to construct a requisite number of data frames from copies of said received data frame;
• means for creating one or more data frames from said received data frame utilizing said created number of pointers;
• means for providing one or more associated pointers for said one or more created data frames;
• means for modifying each of said one or more created data frames independent of other created data frames via utilization of a given one of said associated pointers;
• and
• signal bearing media bearing said means for receiving, both of said means for creating, said means for providing, and said means for modifying.

A method for increasing processing efficiency associated with data frames transiting a network node having multiple ports, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a data frame having a header and data;
• creating a number of pointers necessary to construct a requisite number of data frames from copies of said received data frame;
• creating a requisite number of headers, utilizing a subset of said created number of pointers, commensurate with protocols and destination addresses of one or more network nodes to which said received data frame is to be transmitted;
• creating one or more data frames from said received data frame utilizing said created number of pointers, in conjunction with said associated pointers, to pair said created requisite number of headers with said requisite number of data frames from copies of said received data frame;
• providing one or more associated pointers for said one or more created data frames;
• and
• modifying each of said one or more created data frames independent of other created data frames via utilization of a given one of said associated pointers.