Certain Layer 3 protocol data frames propagated on a network are typically
processed by a control point (CP) in a network switch. The logical bridging and
routing functions required in this processing typically entail network device address
look-ups in routing tables and address databases. Using the CP to perform these
look-ups is expensive in terms of processor cycles and memory. To offload the CP,
the bridging functions are performed a network processor in the switch. The network
processor has specialized software and hardware enabling it to perform the required
database look-ups faster and more efficiently than the CP.
