Progressive MAC address learning

A computer-executable method, comprising:

• storing a first forwarding data structure in a storage device of a switch, wherein a respective entry in the first forwarding data structure includes a media access control (MAC) address and an egress port for the first MAC address;
• determining whether a destination MAC address of a data frame is present in a second forwarding data structure in a content-addressable memory of the switch;
• in response to determining that the destination MAC address is not present in the second forwarding data structure, identifying a first entry comprising the destination MAC address in the first forwarding data structure;
• creating a second entry comprising the destination MAC address in the second forwarding data structure based on the first entry;
• and
• determining a first egress port for the data frame based on the second entry in the second forwarding data structure.

A computing system, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the system to perform a method, the method comprising:
• storing a forwarding data structure in a storage device of a switch, wherein a respective entry in the forwarding data structure includes a media access control (MAC) address and an egress port for the MAC address;
• determining whether a destination MAC address of a data frame is present in a second forwarding data structure in a content-addressable memory of the switch;
• in response to determining that the destination MAC address is not present in the second forwarding data structure, identifying a first entry comprising the destination MAC address in the first forwarding data structure;
• and
• creating a second entry comprising the destination MAC address in the second forwarding data structure based on the first entry;
• and
• determining a first egress port for the data frame based on the second entry in the second forwarding data structure.