Abstract: A method of presenting different virtual routers to different end users, classes of service, or packets is provided. An incoming packet is received having a VLAN field and at least one additional field. A key is formed from the VLAN field and at least one other packet field, and mapped into a virtual router identifier (VRID) using an indirection mapping process. The VRID identifies a particular virtual router configuration from a plurality of possible virtual router configurations. A networking device is configured to have the particular virtual router configuration identified by the VRID, and the packet is then forwarded by the configured device.

Abstract: A method of presenting different virtual routers to different end users, classes of service, or packets is provided. An incoming packet is received having a VLAN field and at least one additional field. A key is formed from the VLAN field and at least one other packet field, and mapped into a virtual router identifier (VRID) using an indirection mapping process. The VRID identifies a particular virtual router configuration from a plurality of possible virtual router configurations. A networking device is configured to have the particular virtual router configuration identified by the VRID, and the packet is then forwarded by the configured device.

Abstract: A method of presenting different virtual routers to different end users, classes of service, or packets is provided. An incoming packet is received having a VLAN field and at least one additional field. A key is formed from the VLAN field and at least one other packet field, and mapped into a virtual router identifier (VRID) using an indirection mapping process. The VRID identifies a particular virtual router configuration from a plurality of possible virtual router configurations. A networking device is configured to have the particular virtual router configuration identified by the VRID, and the packet is then forwarded by the configured device.

Abstract: A MAC address detector for a networking device is provided, the device configured to present different virtual routers to different end users, classes of service or packets. First addressing logic provides a pool of N potential MAC addresses of the device, wherein N is an integer of one or more. Second addressing logic generates a (N+1)th potential MAC address of the device by combining a permanent or semi-permanent identifier of the device, for example, a chassis identifier, with a virtual router identifier determined responsive to the packet. Comparison logic indicates which if any of the (N+1) potential MAC addresses match the destination MAC address from the packet. Enable logic selectively activates responsive to the packet any of the (N+1) potential MAC addresses. Detection logic asserts a device address detection signal if any activated ones of the (N+1) potential MAC addresses match the destination address from the packet.

Abstract: A method of providing virtual router functionality to a packet responsive to one or more abstracted virtual packet identifiers is provided. The method occurs in a networking device having a router core. The one or more abstracted virtual identifiers are abstracted from one or more virtual identifiers derived from the packet, thus insulating the router core from changes in the one or more virtual identifiers. A packet is received having a VLAN field, and a key is formed from the VLAN field and at least one other packet field. The key is mapped into an abstracted virtual identifier using an indirection mapping process. One or more core virtual router functions are then performed responsive to the abstracted virtual identifier.

Abstract: A method of presenting different virtual routers to different end users, classes of service, or packets is provided. An incoming packet is received having a VLAN field and at least one additional field. A key is formed from the VLAN field and at least one other packet field, and mapped into a virtual router identifier (VRID) using an indirection mapping process. The VRID identifies a particular virtual router configuration from a plurality of possible virtual router configurations. A networking device is configured to have the particular virtual router configuration identified by the VRID, and the packet is then forwarded by the configured device.

Abstract: Interrupts are presented to a processor to indicate the arrival of data packets from a high speed network. The rate of packet arrival interrupts is modulated to prevent burdening the processor unnecessarily with repeated interrupts while receiving a burst of data. The interrupt modulator of the present invention ensures that the first packet of a new data burst, or the first packet of a short message, generate an immediate interrupt to the processor, thus avoiding any unnecessary latency in the processor's response. This is done by enabling a packet arrival to generate an interrupt if a specified period of time has elapsed since the previous interrupt. Further, the interrupt modulator ensures that every N'th packet that arrives generates an interrupt--for example, to ensure that the processor performs any memory management functions that may be required. A packet does not generate an interrupt if it arrives soon enough after the previous interrupt and it is not the N'th packet since the pervious interrupt.