Abstract: An interconnecting apparatus includes one or more interfaces. Each interface connects to a network. The interconnecting apparatus interconnects the networks attached to the interfaces. The device utilizes distributed autonomous forwarding engines on each interface in that each interface has a forwarding engine corresponding to it. Each forwarding engine only knows the configuration information and how to receive and transmit packets on the one interface to which it corresponds. Each forwarding engine acts independently to process packets, yet each interacts together to collectively provide packet forwarding which is protocol independent, interface independent, and scalable.

Abstract: An object-oriented architecture for network layer routing is provided which distributes function and system behavior into autonomous router objects. By distributing these functionalities into each object, the services and data normally external to the object are imbedded or accessible within the object itself. In another sense, some objects are distributed across the network; e.g., a separate forwarding engine is provided at each network interface. In a preferred embodiment, each object has: (1) common, protocol-independent functions that are shared by all objects of that class; (2) their own configuration information; (3) accessibility through a router resource object for instantiation and control; (4) automatic persistence in NVRAM; (5) remote management capabilities; and (6) text names for navigation of a resource tree as a file system. These capabilities are in every object regardless of the specific protocol or application.