Abstract: Flooding in an Ethernet bridge can be minimized by employing various techniques. In one embodiment using an address table containing a plurality of entries, each of said plurality of entries specifying one of said plurality of ports on which packets containing a corresponding destination address are to be forwarded. A priority field associated with a high priority first entry is maintained. A new entry creation situation is determined and a replacement approach which is less likely to replace said first entry than another entry which does not have associated high priority field is utilized.

Abstract: Congestion is minimized on a desired port in an Ethernet bridge. A packet with a destination address and a source address is received on an incoming port. An address table is search to determine a destination port associated with the destination address. If the destination port is not determined by the search then flooding the packet on all of the ports except the desired port if the incoming port is determined to be equal to the desired port; and flooding the packet on all of the ports except the incoming port and the desired port if the incoming port is determined to be not equal to the desired port.

Abstract: A bridge operates in either VLAN aware mode or VLAN unaware mode as specified by a user. A packet is received in a priority tagged format containing an associated VLAN identifier. The packet is processed according to a VLAN aware mode by setting said VLAN identifier equal an identifier associated with the incoming port on which said packet is received An address table is searched using a destination address and the VLAN identifier to determine a destination port. The packet is sent to the determined destination port.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an Ethernet bridge operates in either VLAN aware mode or VLAN unaware mode as specified by a user. The width of a CAM used for storing address table can be minimized by using a mapping of VLAN identifiers to small numbers, which are stored in the CAM. Flooding can be minimized by employing various techniques. Communication can be quickly re-established even if the Ethernet address (or the machine having that address) moves to be reachable on different ports of the Ethernet bridge. Sufficiently quick response to bridge protocols may be ensured by using an external processor to generate responses, and providing a higher priority DMA channel to transfer packets related to the bridge protocols.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an Ethernet bridge operates in either VLAN aware mode or VLAN unaware mode as specified by a user. The width of a CAM used for storing address table can be minimized by using a mapping of VLAN identifiers to small numbers, which are stored in the CAM. Flooding can be minimized by employing various techniques. Communication can be quickly re-established even if the Ethernet address (or the machine having that address) moves to be reachable on different ports of the Ethernet bridge. Sufficiently quick response to bridge protocols may be ensured by using an external processor to generate responses, and providing a higher priority DMA channel to transfer packets related to the bridge protocols.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an Ethernet bridge operates in either VLAN aware mode or VLAN unaware mode as specified by a user. The width of a CAM used for storing address table can be minimized by using a mapping of VLAN identifiers to small numbers, which are stored in the CAM. Flooding can be minimized by employing various techniques. Communication can be quickly re-established even if the Ethernet address (or the machine having that address) moves to be reachable on different ports of the Ethernet bridge. Sufficiently quick response to bridge protocols may be ensured by using an external processor to generate responses, and providing a higher priority DMA channel to transfer packets related to the bridge protocols.