Direct memory access packet router method and apparatus

Apparatus for routing incoming addressed data packets to a predetermined one of a set of output links comprising:

• common lookup table means for storing address and associated link information;
• a plurality of input/output links each including a FIFO (first in first out) entity, wherein a plurality of the input/output links are packet routers;
• means for detecting the address of an incoming data packet on any of said plurality of input links;
• means for determining the length of said incoming data packet;
• random access storage means for storing said data packet in a given location;
• means for determining which one of said plurality of links corresponds to the detected address from said common lookup table means;
• means for forwarding the given location and the length of the data packet to the FIFO (first in first out) entity of the output link determined to be the one corresponding to the detected address;
• means for retrieving said data packet from said random access storage when the given location and the length of the data packet are accessed through employing indicia of the common lookup table means at the FIFO at the determined output link;
• means for transmitting the data packet over said output link;
• and
• means, for reconfiguring incorporated within a plurality of the links of said plurality of packet routers, for disabling the ability to broadcast data packets to multiple addresses.

Routing apparatus comprising:

• random access storage means for storing a data packet in a given location;
• common lookup table means for storing address and associated link information;
• a plurality of serial links for both inputting and outputting a data packet, each serial link including a FIFO (first in first out) entity, wherein a plurality of the input/output links are packet routers;
• means for checking said common lookup table means to determine the serial link which corresponds to an address contained in the stored data packet;
• means for forwarding the given location and the length of the data packet to the FIFO (first in first out) entity of the serial link corresponding to the data packet contained address;
• means for retrieving said data packet from said random access storage means, when the given location and the length of the data packet are accessed at the FIFO of the serial link through employing indicia of the common lookup table means, for transmission from the routing apparatus;
• and
• means for reconfiguring, incorporated within a plurality of the links of said plurality of packet routers, for disabling the ability to broadcast data packets to multiple addresses.

A method of monitoring incoming data packets received at a first router comprising the steps of:

• determining the length of an incoming data packet;
• storing the data packet in a common random access storage for all incoming data packets;
• forwarding the stored location and the length of the data packet to a FIFO (first in first out) register of a monitor output link of a second packet router, wherein the reconfiguring ability exists in some of packet routers to disable the ability to broadcast to multiple addresses;
• retrieving said data packet from said common random access storage when the given location and the length of the data packet are accessed at said monitor output link through employing indicia of a common lookup table by the second packet router.

Apparatus for monitoring incoming data packets received at a router having comprising:

• a plurality of input/output links each comprising FIFO (first in first out) entity means, wherein a plurality of the input/output links are packet routers;
• random access storage means for storing an incoming data packet of a given input/output link in a given location;
• means for forwarding the given location of said data packet to said FIFO (first in first out) entity of one of said plurality of input/output links to be used as a monitor output link;
• means for retrieving said data packet from said random access storage means when the given location and the length of the data packet are accessed at the monitor output link through employing indicia of the common lookup table;
• and
• means for reconfiguring, incorporated within a plurality of the links of said plurality of packet routers, for disabling the ability to broadcast data packets to multiple addresses.

A method of routing incoming addressed data packets to a predetermined one of a set of output links of a packet router comprising the steps of:

• detecting the address of an incoming data packet;
• storing the data packet in a given location of a common random access storage for all incoming data packets;
• determining the output link corresponding to the detected address from a common lookup table for the set of output links;
• forwarding the given location and the length of the data packet to said output link of the packet router;
• retrieving said data packet from said common random access storage when the given location and the length of the data packet are accessed at said output link through employing indicia of a common lookup table by the packet router;
• transmitting the data packet over said output link;
• and
• disabling the ability to broadcast data packets to multiple addresses by reconfiguring a plurality of the links of said packet router.

A data packet router entity comprising:

• a plurality of packet routers each including a plurality of input and output channels for receiving and transmitting addressed data packets;
• detection means for detecting the address of an incoming data packet;
• random access storage for temporary storage of all incoming data packets;
• common lookup table means for cross referencing addresses to a specific output channel of a specific packet router of said plurality of packet routers;
• means for storing the data packet in a known location of said random access storage;
• means for determining the output channel corresponding to the detected address from said common lookup table for the set of output channels;
• means for forwarding a data packet location pointer to the output channel corresponding to the detected address;
• means comprising a part of said output channel for retrieving said data packet from said random access storage when the data packet location pointer is accessed by said output channel through employment of indicia of the common lookup table;
• means for transmitting the data packet over said output channel;
• and
• means for reconfiguring, incorporated within at least some of the channels of said plurality of packet routers, for disabling the ability to broadcast data packets to multiple addresses.