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How store-and-forward works in an Ethernet switch
- The switch receives the entire Ethernet frame on an input port.
- It buffers the frame and checks it before forwarding.
- If the frame passes the documented check, the switch sends it through the appropriate output port.
Cisco documents this behavior for its Nexus 3000 NX-OS Layer 2 Switching Configuration Guide, Release 5.0(3)U3(1): the switch checks frames for cyclic redundancy check (CRC) errors before forwarding them. This is a platform- and release-specific description, not a guarantee that every switch exposes the same setting or behaves identically. A CRC check can detect the documented error condition; it does not make forwarding error-free or prevent every kind of corruption or network fault. Cisco Nexus 3000 Layer 2 Switching Configuration Guide
Store-and-forward vs. cut-through switching
| Behavior | Store-and-forward | Cut-through |
|---|---|---|
| When forwarding starts | After the complete frame has arrived and been checked. | After the switch reads destination details in the frame header; it need not wait for the entire frame. |
| Integrity check before forwarding | The cited Cisco platform checks the complete frame for CRC errors first. | The frame may begin forwarding before all of its integrity information has arrived. |
| Latency trade-off | Waiting for the full frame adds delay compared with cut-through on the cited platform. | Can begin forwarding sooner, with less delay on that platform. |
The practical choice is a trade-off: store-and-forward allows a complete-frame check before transmission onward, while cut-through favors starting sooner. These descriptions reflect Cisco’s cited guide; device implementations may differ.
What latency means for store-and-forward
Latency figures are meaningful only when their measurement points are clear. RFC 1242 defines latency for a store-and-forward device as the interval from the arrival of the last bit of the input frame at the input port to the appearance of the first bit of the output frame at the output port. That is a device-level benchmark definition, not a measure of end-to-end application delay. RFC 1242, section 3.8
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RFC 8238, published in August 2017, discusses benchmarking data-center devices that may use cut-through, store-and-forward, or hybrid behavior. Some devices may store and forward smaller packets but switch to cut-through at a larger packet-size threshold. When comparing latency, identify the device or platform, packet conditions, and the measurement’s start and end events; a bare latency number can conceal different methods. RFC 8238
Store-and-forward in delay-tolerant networking
In delay-tolerant networking (DTN), store-and-forward refers to keeping messages—often called bundles—in network storage until a communication opportunity becomes available. This approach suits networks where a continuous end-to-end connection cannot be assumed. Unlike a switch buffering a frame for forwarding, a DTN message may wait much longer for a usable link. RFC 4838
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In brief
- In Ethernet switching, the device receives a complete frame before forwarding it.
- On the cited Cisco platform, waiting allows a CRC check before onward transmission, at the cost of additional delay compared with cut-through.
- In DTN, the stored item is a message or bundle that waits for a communication opportunity.
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