Routing
(n.) In internetworking, the process of moving a packet of data from source to destination. Routing is usually performed by a dedicated device called a router. Routing is a key feature of the Internet because it enables messages to pass from one computer to another and eventually reach the target machine. Each intermediary computer performs routing by passing along the message to the next computer. Part of this process involves analyzing a routing tableto determine the best path.
Routing is often confused with bridging, which performs a similar function. The principal difference between the two is that bridging occurs at a lower level and is therefore more of a hardware function whereas routing occurs at a higher level where the software component is more important. And because routing occurs at a higher level, it can perform more complex analysis to determine the optimal path for the packet.
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- routing information field
(n.) In token-ring networks, the optional field at the end of a MAC header right before the user data that contains the routing information. Routing bridges use this data to determine where to route tokens when sending data from one token-ring network to another interconnected token-ring network. The routing information field typically contains a series […]
- routing protocol
A generic term that refers to a formula, or protocol, used by a router to determine the appropriate path over which data is transmitted. The routing protocol also specifies how routers in a network share information with each other and report changes. The routing protocol enables a network to make dynamic adjustments to its conditions, […]
- routing metric
A variable used by a dynamic router to calculate its routing table. This determines which route the router should use to forward a packet.
- routing switch
(n.) A switch that also performs routing operations. Usually a switch operates at layer 2 (the Data Link layer) of the OSI Reference Model while routers operate at layer 3 (the Network layer). Routing switches, however, perform many of the layer 3 functions usually reserved for routers. And because the routing is implemented in hardware […]
- row address strobe
Abbreviated RAS, a signal, or strobe, sent by the processor to a DRAM circuit to activate a row address. DRAM stores data in a series of rows and columns, similar in theory to a spreadsheet, and each cell where a data bit is stored exists in both a row and a column. A processor uses […]