SYSTEM FOR MANAGING DATA FLOW AMONG DEVICES BY STORING DATA AND STRUCTURES NEEDED BY THE DEVICES AND TRANSFERRING CONFIGURATION INFORMATION FROM PROCESSOR TO THE DEVICES

An internetwork device which manages the flow of packets of I/O data among a plurality of network interface devices includes a bus coupled to the plurality of network interface devices, a core memory storing only packets of I/O data and control structures needed by the plurality of network interface devices, and a processor including local memory isolated from the core memory storing routines and internetwork information involved in updating control structures and control fields in the packets of I/O data to direct movements of packets of I/O data among the plurality of network interface devices. A bus-memory interface is provided through which transfers of packets of I/O/data and control structures used by the plurality of network interface devices are conducted between the core memory and the bus. A processor-memory interface is provided through which transfers of data to or from control structures or control fields in packets of I/O data are conducted between the core memory and the processor. Finally, a processor-bus interface is included through which configuration information concerning control structures and I/O data buffers in the core memory are transferred between the plurality of network interface devices and the processor across the bus. The processor-bus and processor-memory interfaces include structures for decoupling processor accesses to configuration stores in the plurality network interface devices and to the core memory from contention with bus-memory interface transfers between the core memory and the plurality of network interface devices.