| 摘要 |
A network switch for a packet-based data communication network comprises a plurality of ports for the reception and transmission of data and a database for routing data between ports. The database comprises a data table 17 holding entries each comprising a media access control address (gateway address) and an identification of a port (portmask), and a pointer table (hash table) 16 holding entries each comprising a network address (remote station address) 162 and an associated pointer 163 to an entry in the data table. An incoming data packet with network address IPA is converted into hashed form and used to look up a pointer in pointer table 16. This pointer points to an entry in data table 17 containing a media access control address MACG1 and a port mask, defining respectively the intermediate device (gateway) to which the remote station is connected and the port to which that gateway is coupled. The space required in data table 17 for a given media access control address is reduced since it appears only once, with multiple pointer table entries pointing to the same data table entry. |
