Abstract: Improved methods and apparatus are disclosed for remapping Asynchronous Transfer Mode ("ATM") cells in an ATM switch to convert a single Virtual Path Identifier ("VPI")/Virtual Connection Identifier ("VCI") address pair to multiple outgoing VPI/VCI pairs for multicast transmission. An incoming cell is examined to determine the ports through which the cell will exit and a local header is generated which includes a field specifying the I/O modules ("IOMs") through which the cell will exit. The VPI/VCI pair of an incoming multicast cell is mapped to a global multicast identifier ("MID") which is written into the local header. The cell, including the local header is then forwarded to the IOMs specified in the header. A first lookup table on each IOM is employed to provide a port bitmask indexed by MID to direct the cell to the previously identified ports, and to map the MID into a connection identifier ("CID").

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for maintaining operational and statistical information in a high speed network switch for each of a plurality of supported connections. A high speed array is provided which includes a plurality of high speed registers for each of a plurality of connections supported by the switch. Upon receipt of a cell/frame, a connection identifier is generated to identify the connection within the network switch and the connection identifier is stored in an index register. The connection identifier stored within the index is used to select a plurality of registers within the high speed register array of registers pertaining to the specified connection. Information pertaining to each received cell/frame is generated upon receipt of the cell or retrieved from the respective cell header and is employed to generate an operand for each of the plurality of registers addressed by the connection identifier.