Method and apparatus for routing in a single tier switched network

摘要

A method and apparatus for more efficient routing of packets in a network is provided. The apparatus may include dynamic routing of packets or portions of packets which avoids congestion and blocking by making local decisions within the network. The apparatus may further include creating and updating routing tables which map switch outputs to available network output ports. Additionally the header of packets entering the network are processed prior to entry or as part of the entry to the network to produce a processed packet. The processed packets or portions of packets preferably include complete route information or a final destination address that enables rapid routing through the network without further processing of the packet header. One or more aspects of the inventions may be implemented in combination with other aspects of the invention to further improve network efficiency.