Internet protocol switch and use of the switch for switching a frame

A method for switching an incoming Internet Protocol (IP) frame to an IP destination address included in the IP frame through use of an IP switch, said method comprising:

• receiving the incoming IP frame at a port of multiple ports of the IP switch, wherein the IP switch comprises the multiple ports, a switching table which comprises at least one entry, and a lifetime for each entry of the at least one entry, wherein the multiple ports comprise a plurality of access ports and a plurality of interswitch ports, wherein each access port is identified by a port identifier and is directly connected to a corresponding host in a Local Area Network (LAN), wherein the interswitch ports are statically connected to routers within an Internet to connect the routers together in connections that cannot be overwritten by a dynamic learning process, wherein the each entry of the at least one entry comprises an IP address, a port identifier associated with the IP address and identifying a port of the multiple ports, and a routing protocol internal metric indicative of confidence in the entry, and wherein the IP switch does not comprise a Media Access Control (MAC) table that associates a MAC address of each host in the LAN with each host's associated port identifier;
• after said receiving the incoming IP frame, said IP switch reading the IP destination address from the IP frame;
• after said reading, said IP switch making a comparison between the IP destination address with the IP address in the each entry of the at least one entry of the switching table;
• said IP switch ascertaining, from said comparison, a matching IP address in the at least one entry of the switching table that matches the IP destination address included in the IP frame;
• after said ascertaining, said IP switch directing the IP frame to a specific port of the multiple ports, wherein the specific port has a port identifier in a specific entry of the at least one entry of the switching table such that the specific entry comprises the matching IP address;
• and
• after said directing, said IP switch transmitting the IP frame from the specific port to the IP destination address.

A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage device having computer readable program code stored therein, said program code configured to be executed by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method for switching an incoming Internet Protocol (IP) frame to an IP destination address included in the IP frame through use of an IP switch, said method comprising:

• receiving the incoming IP frame at a port of multiple ports of the IP switch, wherein the IP switch comprises the multiple ports, a switching table which comprises at least one entry, and a lifetime for each entry of the at least one entry, wherein the multiple ports comprise a plurality of access ports and a plurality of interswitch ports, wherein each access port is identified by a port identifier and is directly connected to a corresponding host in a Local Area Network (LAN), wherein the interswitch ports are statically connected to routers within an Internet to connect the routers together in connections that cannot be overwritten by a dynamic learning process, wherein the each entry of the at least one entry comprises an IP address, a port identifier associated with the IP address and identifying a port of the multiple ports, and a routing protocol internal metric indicative of confidence in the entry, and wherein the IP switch does not comprise a Media Access Control (MAC) table that associates a MAC address of each host in the LAN with each host's associated port identifier;
• after said receiving the incoming IP frame, said IP switch reading the IP destination address from the IP frame;
• after said reading, said IP switch making a comparison between the IP destination address with the IP address in the each entry of the at least one entry of the switching table;
• said IP switch ascertaining, from said comparison, a matching IP address in the at least one entry of the switching table that matches the IP destination address included in the IP frame;
• after said ascertaining, said IP switch directing the IP frame to a specific port of the multiple ports, wherein the specific port has a port identifier in a specific entry of the at least one entry of the switching table such that the specific entry comprises the matching IP address;
• and
• after said directing, said IP switch transmitting the IP frame from the specific port to the IP destination address.