PACKET FORWARDING USING AN APPROXIMATE INGRESS TABLE AND AN EXACT EGRESS TABLE

摘要

Techniques are provided for forwarding packets via an intermediate network device. A packet comprising a destination MAC address is received at a first port of a network device having a plurality of bi-directional ports. A second port of the network device to which the packet should be forwarded is identified through the use of at least an approximate ingress table at the first port comprising a plurality of compressed destination MAC addresses each having an associated egress port, and the packet is forwarded to the second port. At the second port, a subsequent network device to which the packet should be forwarded is identified through the use of an exact egress table at the second port including exact destination MAC addresses each associated with a network device connected to the second port, and the packet is forwarded to the subsequent network device.