256 next hops isn't enough. Typical ASICs support 20,000 to 160,000 next hops FECs.
Cisco tried caching routing decisions from non-line rate routing engines in the 90s, and the industry learned the lesson that it's a bad idea. Caching works until you overflow the cache for some reason, and then the box completely falls over as it thrashes.
Cisco tried caching routing decisions from non-line rate routing engines in the 90s, and the industry learned the lesson that it's a bad idea. Caching works until you overflow the cache for some reason, and then the box completely falls over as it thrashes.