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| 5.2 |  | Cisco Express Forwarding |
| 5.2.1 |  | Cisco Express Forwarding overview |

Cisco Express Forwarding (CEF) is a multilayer-switching technology that allows for increased scalability and performance to meet the requirements of large enterprise networks. CEF has evolved to accommodate the traffic patterns realized by modern networks. These networks are characterized by an increasing number of short-duration flows. Shorter flows are common in environments with a high degree of web-based activity, or other highly interactive types of traffic.

As these types of applications continue to grow in popularity, a higher-performing and more scalable forwarding methodology is required to meet the needs of these environments. The following sections compare MLS and CEF technologies, and provide a detailed description of CEF operation.