Delayed auto new address learning
AssigneeMarvell Israel (M.I.S.L) Ltd.
InventorGai Nachum
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A network device includes a plurality of ports and at least one packet processor separate from a central processing unit (CPU). The packet processor is configured to forward a received packet based on a look-up of a destination address of the received packet in a table of learned entries that associate first addresses checked by the CPU to the ports of the network device, to add a new provisional entry that associates a source address with an ingress port of the received packet based on a look-up of the source address in both the learned entries and provisional entries that associate second addresses to be checked by the CPU to the ports of the network device, and to upgrade the new provisional entry to a learned entry with a delay time (e.g., a pre-determined time period) to allow the CPU to check the source address.
Claims20
A network device, comprising:
- a plurality of ports configured to receive packets from a network and to transmit packets to the network;
- and
- at least one packet processor, separate from a central processing unit (CPU), configured to forward a received packet based on a look-up of a destination address of the received packet in a table of learned entries that associate first addresses checked by the CPU to the ports of the network device, to add a new provisional entry that associates a source address with an ingress port of the received packet based on a look-up of the source address in both the learned entries and provisional entries that associate second addresses to be checked by the CPU to the ports of the network device, and to upgrade the new provisional entry to a learned entry with a delay time to allow the CPU to check the source address.
A method, comprising:
- receiving, by a packet processor separate from a central processing unit (CPU), a packet from a port among a plurality of ports;
- forwarding the received packet based on a look-up of a destination address of the received packet in a table of learned entries that associate first addresses to the ports of the network device, the first addresses being checked by the CPU;
- adding a new provisional entry that associates a source address of the packet with the port based on a lookup of the source address in the first addresses of the learned entries and second addresses of provisional entries to be checked by the CPU;
- and
- upgrading the new provisional entry to a learned entry with a delay time to allow the CPU to check the source address.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.