Routing 101: Process Switching
Process switching was the first switching method implemented in IOS. Basically, it uses the brute-force method to switch packets. Although process switching contains the least amount of performance optimizations and can consume large amounts of CPU time, it does have the advantage of being platform-independent, making it universally available across all Cisco IOS-based products. Process switching also provides some traffic load sharing capabilities not found in most of the other switching methods, which are discussed in detail in the section, “Traffic Load Sharing with Process Switching.”
To understand just how process switching works, take a look at the steps required to process switch a packet. Figure 2-1 illustrates ...
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