Layer 3 switching

The emerging layer 3 switching technology integrates routing with switching to yield very high routing throughput rates in the millionsofpacketspersecond range. The movement to layer 3 switching is designed to address the downsides of the current generation of layer 2 switches, which are functionally equivalent to bridges. These downsides for a large, flat network include being subject to broadcast storms, spanning tree loops, and address limitations that drove the injection of routers into bridged networks in the late 1980s. Currently, layer 3 switching is represented by a number of approaches in the industry.