Method and system for routing network information

A Fibre Channel switch element, comprising:

• a port having a receive segment for receiving and processing a Fibre Channel frame having a frame header with a plurality of fields;
• and
• a translation cache that is configured to simultaneous compare the plurality of fields within the frame header to a plurality of entries for a plurality of control words used by the translation cache;
• wherein the plurality of control words include different fields for the simultaneous comparison with the plurality of fields of the frame header;
• and based on the simultaneous comparison, de-encapsulates the Fibre Channel frame header, if de-encapsulation for the Fibre Channel frame is enabled;
• translates the Fibre Channel frame header using information generated by the translation cache, if translation for the Fibre Channel frame is enabled;
• encapsulates the frame, if encapsulation for the Fibre Channel frame is enabled;
• and routes the frame using an entry of the translation cache if routing for the Fibre Channel frame by the translation cache is enabled.

A switch element, comprising:

• a port having a receive segment for receiving a frame with a frame header having a plurality of fields and a transmit segment for transmitting the frame;
• and
• a translation cache that is configured to simultaneously compare the plurality of fields of the frame header to a plurality of entries for a plurality of control words used by the translation cache;
• wherein the plurality of control words include different fields for the simultaneous comparison with the plurality of fields of the frame header;
• and based on the simultaneous comparison, the frame header is de-encapsulated, if de-encapsulation for frame is enabled;
• translated, if translation for the frame is enabled;
• encapsulated, if encapsulation for the frame is enabled;
• and routed by using an entry of the translation cache, if the routing for the frame by the translation cache is enabled;
• wherein to translate the frame header, the translation cache generates a translation mask with a plurality of bits;
• generates translation data;
• and substitutes frame header data with the translation data;
• wherein to encapsulate the frame header, the translation cache generates an extended header and the frame header is encapsulated with the extended header;
• and
• wherein to route the frame, the translation cache generates a route code and the frame is routed based on the route code.