Abstract: This invention is directed to a light weight fire resistant material. The material is constructed of a plurality of oxidized polyacrylonitrile (OPAN) fibers. The fire resistant material having a weight in the range of less than about 9.0 oz/yd2, an Arc Thermal Performance Value of greater than about 8.0 and a Thermal Protection Performance of greater than about 13.0.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a light weight fire resistant material. The material is constructed of a plurality of oxidized polyacrylonitrile (OPAN) fibers. The fire resistant material having a weight in the range of less than about 9.0 oz/yd2, an Arc Thermal Performance Value of greater than about 8.0 and a Thermal Protection Performance of greater than about 13.0.

Abstract: Quality of Service (“QoS”) variables for predetermined protocol Type data units are stored in a cache memory. For data units that are associated with a flow, thirteen bytes selected out of the Internet Protocol (“IP”) header are employed as at least a portion of a key to perform a cache lookup to obtain at least one Quality of Service variable from the cache. Both routing and QoS information may be stored in the cache for retrieval upon a single lookup operation.

Abstract: A Receive Frame Processor (RFP) in a network bridge/router for receiving frame-characterizing information from other elements of the bridge/router and for generating plural code vectors which result in the selective processing of a received frame in software and/or hardware is provided. The received information is utilized in constructing code vectors representative of how a received frame is to be processed. Further data structures stored in conjunction with the RFP are indexed by the constructed code vectors and indicate whether the frame is to be processed in the RFP hardware, by software in an associated Frame Processor, or both. These data structures also indicate whether the port through which the frame was received is to be blocked to prevent misordering of received frames. If the frame is to be processed in software, the RFP generates a Receive Vector which is provided to the FP and which conveys the frame-characterizing code vectors to the FP.

Abstract: A network bridge/router for identifying a data unit to be routed by a network bridge/router, for identifying a protocol associated with the received data unit to be routed, and for carrying out appropriate data unit transfer operations, all in hardware. A Receive Header Processor (RHP) analyzes the destination address of the received data unit, in hardware, for determining if routing or bridging is required. If routing is required, the RHP uses portions of the received data unit header as a compare value against predefined values stored in data structures which provide a protocol ID identifying the protocol of the received data unit and serving as an index to the appropriate microcode handling routine, executed by the RHP, for the data unit. The handling routine causes the RHP to forward data unit identifying information appropriate to the identified protocol and obtained from the received data unit to further hardware-based data unit processing elements.

Abstract: At least a portion of the data units in a bridge/router are processed by logic circuits according to cast type. The cast type, source address and destination address of an incoming data unit are determined by examining the header. For a unicast data unit, the source address and destination address are employed to obtain a transmit port indicator from memory, and the unicast data unit is directed to the port indicated by the transmit port indicator. For a non-unicast data unit, the source address and destination address are employed to obtain a first port mask that indicates valid ports for receipt of the data unit and a second port mask that indicates valid ports for transmission of the data unit from memory. The first and second port masks are combined to generate a third port mask, and the non-unicast data unit is directed to the ports indicated by the third port mask.

Abstract: At least a portion of the data units in a bridge/router device are analyzed for purposes of filtering by employing high speed logic circuits. A data unit is analyzed by such logic circuits by examining the header portion of the data unit, employing information obtained from the header portion to designate possible output ports for transmission of the data unit, examining a predefined per-port filter enable indicator to determine whether filtering is to be applied to the data unit, and applying filtering for each respective port for which the per-port filter enable indicator indicates that filtering is to be applied. Filtering is also implemented with logic circuits and executed at high speed. Filtering may be executed based on MAC address group, port group, combination MAC address and port group, protocol type, and non-unicast traffic frequency. Data units that cannot be analyzed by the logic circuits are analyzed by software.

Abstract: Logic circuits are employed in a telecommunications bridge/router device to examine a received frame to determine which VLAN, if any, the frame is associated with. The protocol type, receive port identification, and receive VLAN tag are employed to determine the transmit port identification and transmit VLAN tag. A predefined table indicates which ports within the bridge/router are associated with the VLAN. The frame is excluded from transmission through the ports that are not associated with members of the respective the VLAN.