Method and apparatus for scaling number of virtual lans in a switch using an indexing scheme

摘要

A network switch configured for switching data packets across multiple ports uses an address table to generate frame forwarding information. The address table includes a virtual local area network index field. A decision-making engine receives a VLAN ID from a frame and converts the VLAN ID to a VLAN index and searches the address table for data forwarding information based on the generated VLAN index. The switch may be modified to support any number of VLANs by varying the size of the VLAN index field in the address table with minimal changes to the architecture of the switch.