Efficient multicast mapping in a network switch

摘要

An apparatus and technique for facilitating mapping of a Multicast Circuit Identifier ("MID") to a Local Circuit Identifiers ("CID") is disclosed. Table entries for such mapping can be disposed in non-contiguous memory locations. A pointer is employed in ca h entry to indicate the location of any subsequent memory location associated with the MID. CIDs and associated memory locations are allocated only for ports that participate in a connection. To implement the apparatus and technique a first table provides an index into a second table based upon the MID. The second table includes entries having a port identification field, a pointer field and a CID field. The CID field indicates the CID associated with the port indicated by the port identification field. The CID is written to the header of the copy of the cell to be transmitted to the indicated port. The pointer indicates further entries in the second table that are associated with other copies of the cell to be transmitted in the multicast connection, if such entries exist. The CID is employed to obtain a Virtual Path Identifier ("VPI") and Virtual Circuit Identifier ("VCI") from a third table.