A switching interface comprising a switch having an input and a plurality
of outputs, and a memory associated with the switch. The switch is
adapted to receive a packet from the input, the packet to be forwarded to
a destination device coupled to a one of the plurality of outputs. The
switch is responsive to store the packet in the associated memory. The
switch is further responsive to a signal from the destination device to
forward the packet from the associated memory to the destination device
through the one of the plurality of outputs. Optionally, the switching
interface may further comprise a packet encryption engine coupled between
the input and the associated memory. Typically, the output devices
coupled to the plurality of outputs will each have its own separate
encryption process; in these scenarios the encryption engine will have
logic for determining the appropriate encryption for the output device.