Layer 3 switching alternatives

Cut-through switching techniques, and application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)-based wire-speed routing both attempt to improve network performance whenever possible. While switching advocates prefer the, “route once, switch thereafter” approach, ASIC-based routing vendors believe the “route wherever you wish” approach is the prevailing long-term solution. Both attempt to eliminate the cost premium and the performance penalty normally associated with Internet Protocol (IP) routing. The author discusses several competing cut-through switching approaches, the emergence of ASIC-based routing implementations, and explore the associated advantages and disadvantages of each approach