Hardware-assisted fast data path switching for network devices with redundant forwarding components

Relates to hardware-assisted fast data path switching of network equipment with redundant forwarding components. A network device may receive a packet, wherein the network device includes a first routing component, a second routing component, a first forwarding component, a second forwarding component, and a physical interface card concentrator having a plurality of physical interface cards. The first routing component may provide a signal to the physical interface card concentrator indicating that the second forwarding component will be an active forwarding component. The physical interface card concentrator may cause a data path for the plurality of physical interface cards to be switched from the first forwarding component to the second forwarding component based on the signal. The first routing component may provide packets to the second forwarding component. The second forwarding component may provide packets to the plurality of physical interface cards via the data path. A plurality of physical interfac