What does Content Addressable Memory (CAM) store?

Content Addressable Memory (CAM) is a special type of memory used primarily in networking equipment, such as switches and routers, to enable rapid lookups of data, specifically related to forwarding decisions. The primary function of CAM is to store MAC addresses along with their corresponding ports.

When a device receives a frame, it can quickly determine the destination port for that frame by looking up the MAC address in its CAM table. This efficiency allows switches to operate at high speeds, forwarding Ethernet frames without the overhead of processing every packet through the CPU. In essence, CAM enhances performance by allowing for parallel searches.

While the other options refer to important concepts in networking and security, they are not the primary function of CAM. Packet encryption keys, network configuration settings, and protocols do not utilize CAM for storage or retrieval in the same efficient manner as MAC address and port associations. Thus, the correct understanding of CAM's purpose directly correlates with its use in storing MAC addresses and their corresponding ports.