Abstract: A network device for processing packet. The network device includes an ingress module for performing switching functionality on an incoming packet, wherein the network device determines a destination port to which the incoming packet is to be transmitted. The network device also includes a CPU processing module for transmitting information between the network device and an external CPU. The external CPU transmits a formatted packet to the network device through the CPU processing module. The formatted packet includes module header and a data field. The ingress module uses information in a start field of the module header to determine that the incoming packet is a formatted packet and generates instructions for notifying other modules of the network device that the formatted packet is not to be modified by the network device and determines that the formatted packet is to be transmitted to a destination field in the formatted packet.

Abstract: A network device for providing statistical sampling of packet at a port. The network device includes an ingress module for randomly selecting a packet at one of a plurality of ports for statistical sampling and an egress module for randomly selecting a packet at one of a plurality of ports for statistical sampling. The network device also includes a processing module for receiving a copy of a selected packet from at least one of the ingress module or egress module and for performing statistical flow processing on the packet.

Abstract: A network device for processing packets. The network device includes an ingress module for performing switching functions on an incoming packet. The network device also includes a memory management unit for storing packets and performing resource checks on each packet and an egress module for performing packet modification and transmitting the packet to an appropriate destination port. Each of the ingress module, memory management unit and egress module includes multiple cycles for processing instructions and each of the ingress module, memory management unit and egress module processes one packet every clock cycle.

Abstract: A network device for processing packets. The network devices includes a ingress module for performing lookups for layer 2 switching and performing operations for maintaining a layer 2 table. When the ingress module updates the layer 2 table, the ingress module records the operation performed on the layer 2 table in a modification buffer. Entries are added to the modification buffer when the layer 2 table is modified and in the order in which the layer 2 table was modified. The network device thus enables reconstruction of the layer 2 table by performing the operations in the modification buffer.

Abstract: A network device for selecting a port from a trunk group to transmit a unicast packet on the selected port. The network device includes at least one trunk group including a plurality of physical ports. The network device also includes a table with a plurality of entries. Each entry is associated with one trunk group and includes a plurality of fields that are associated with ports in the trunk group. Each entry also includes a hash field that is used to select bits from predefined fields of an incoming unicast packet to obtain an index bit for accessing one of the plurality of fields. The network device further includes transmitting means for transmitting the unicast packet to a port associated with an accessed one of the plurality of fields.

Abstract: A network device for selecting a port from a trunk group to transmit a unicast packet on the selected port. The network device includes at least one trunk group including a plurality of physical ports. The network device also includes a table with a plurality of entries. Each entry is associated with one trunk group and includes a plurality of fields that are associated with ports in the trunk group. Each entry also includes a hash field that is used to select bits from predefined fields of an incoming unicast packet to obtain an index bit for accessing one of the plurality of fields. The network device transmits the unicast packet to a port associated with an accessed one of the plurality of fields.

Abstract: A network device for processing packets. The network devices includes a ingress module for performing lookups for layer 2 switching and performing operations for maintaining a layer 2 table. When the ingress module updates the layer 2 table, the ingress module records the operation performed on the layer 2 table in a modification buffer. Entries are added to the modification buffer when the layer 2 table is modified and in the order in which the layer 2 table was modified. The network device thus enables reconstruction of the layer 2 table by performing the operations in the modification buffer.