forwardings

Forwarding is the act of sending something from its original destination toward a different recipient or location. The term is used across several domains, including logistics, telecommunications, and computer networking, and the specifics vary by context.

In mail and parcel services, forwarding refers to redirecting mail or packages to a new address. Forwarding may be permanent or temporary, and may require a change-of-address order. Services are often offered by postal authorities or private carriers and may involve forwarding costs, limits on types of items, and durations.

Call forwarding (sometimes called call diversion) redirects incoming calls to another number or device. Options typically include unconditional forwarding, conditional forwarding (when the line is busy, unanswered, or unreachable), and selective forwarding. It is available on fixed-line, mobile, and VoIP networks and can be configured by the user or by the network. Privacy and billing implications can arise.

In computer networks, forwarding is the process of moving a data packet from an input interface to the appropriate output interface based on the routing table. The term distinguishes from routing, which selects the path; forwarding is performed at the fast data plane and must be efficient. Routers maintain forwarding tables populated by routing protocols such as OSPF or BGP. Forwarding may be influenced by QoS policies, ACLs, and security rules.

In general, the plural "forwardings" typically refers to instances of these actions in different systems or contexts. The underlying concept is simply the redirection of data, goods, or requests toward a destination other than their origin.