ATM-based cut-through forwarding engine for computer communication networks

The demand for Internet services has exploded due to the emergence of the World Wide Web (WWW). Intranets have also been receiving much attention. There is increasing demand for Internet and intranet services that offer higher speed, higher throughput, and stronger security at low cost. This paper points out the problems of constructing a nationwide computer network and proposes the network router/bridge concept that acts as a large router/bridge. We also propose a cut-through ATM-based forwarding engine (CAFE) that handles IP packets/Ethernet frames, it has a forwarding function and high throughput. In conjunction with the existing ATM backbone network, it yields low communication cost.