Use of code vectors for frame forwarding in a bridge/router

Abstract

A Receive Frame Processor (RFP) in a network bridge/router for receiving frame-characterizing information from other elements of the bridge/router and for generating plural code vectors which result in the selective processing of a received frame in software and/or hardware is provided. The received information is utilized in constructing code vectors representative of how a received frame is to be processed. Further data structures stored in conjunction with the RFP are indexed by the constructed code vectors and indicate whether the frame is to be processed in the RFP hardware, by software in an associated Frame Processor, or both. These data structures also indicate whether the port through which the frame was received is to be blocked to prevent misordering of received frames. If the frame is to be processed in software, the RFP generates a Receive Vector which is provided to the FP and which conveys the frame-characterizing code vectors to the FP. If the frame is to be processed in hardware by the RFP, a Transmit Vector is generated which contains information such as a mask of which transmit ports are to be utilized for forwarding the received frame, and information necessary for reconstructing a header for the received frame, including which encapsulation format is to be utilized for the frame.