EP0597789A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Multiport lan bridge
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1993-10-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-10-05
Abstract
Abstract A multiport bridge includes a plurality of Bridge Port Frame Handler (BPFH) units (1'',2'',...N'') coupled through a Source Routing bus and a Transparent Bridge Bus to a microcontroller (20), a Packet Memory (12) and a Transparent Bridge Control Management System (TBCMS) (26). Each Bridge Port Frame Handler unit receives Frame from its attached LAN, forwards selected portions of Source Routing Frames to other Bridge Port Frame Handlers for further processing. Likewise, selected portions of Transparent Bridge Frames are forwarded to the TBCMS whereat routing information and signature information is extracted and returned to the forwarding BPFH unit for further processing.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul Chang
- 👤 Edward Hau-Chun Ku
- 👤 Joseph Wayne Coates
- 👤 Simin Hosne Sanaye
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 09:27
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L12/00; H04L12/28; H04L12/46
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
An apparatus for interconnecting communications networks comprising: a first bus means; a second bus means; at least one bridge port frame handler means coupled to the first bus means and the second bus means; said at least one bridge port frame handler means receiving frames from or transmitting frames onto at least one of the communications networks; a first means for storing data coupled to the first bus means; a first bus arbiter for controlling bus access coupled to the first bus means; a transparent bridge routing (TBR) means for processing transparent bridge frames coupled to the second bus means; and a first controller means interconnecting the transparent bridge routing means to the first bus means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of Claim 1 further including at least one LAN controller interconnecting the at least one bridge port frame handler to at least one LAN.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including a first circuit means disposed between the controller means and the transparent bridge routing means; said first circuit means being responsive to control signals to electrically isolate said controller means from the transparent bridge routing means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 3 further including a second circuit means connecting the at least one bridge port handler means to the second bus means; said second circuit means being responsive to control signals to electrically isolate said at least one bridge port handler from the second bus means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
136 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transparent bridge routing means includes a first buffer means for storing destination address/source address data; a second bus arbiter for allowing said at least one port handler means to access the second bus means; a central data bank means for storing information including station addresses, bridge port handler addresses, communications network types network protocol information and control information; a second control means responsive to data in the first buffer and control signals generated by the second bus arbiter to correlate the addresses in the central data bank means with an address in the first buffer and upon a matched address, extracting from said central data bank means signature information associated with the matched address and for writing said signature information to the at least one bridge port handler means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
74 words
The apparatus of claim 4 further including an auxiliary data bank means coupled to the second control means and the first buffer means; said auxiliary data bank means responsive to control signals generated by the second control means to move an address data from the first buffer means into the auxiliary data bank means when the address data in said first buffer means does not match an entry in the central data bank means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 5 further including an update buffer means coupled to the first control means and the second control means; said second control means responsive to control signals outputted from the first control means to transfer information from the update buffer means to the central data bank means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of claim 6 further including an aging facility means interconnecting the first controller means and the central data bank means, said aging facility means responsive to control signals outputted from the first control means to update and/or delete selected information from the central data bank means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the central data bank means include a CAM for storing station addresses; and a first SRAM for storing signature information on LAN stations coupled to said CAM.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the auxiliary data bank means include a second SRAM for storing station addresses not found in the central data bank means; and a third controller coupled to the second SRAM.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including at least one adapter means for practicing respective LAN protocols coupling the at least one bridge port handler means to at least one LAN.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
115 words
An improved multi-port bridge for interconnecting LANs including: a first transmission bus means; at least one Bridge Port Frame Handler means coupled to said bus means; said Bridge Port Frame Handler means receiving a frame from a LAN and extracting a DA and/or a SA; a CAM for storing addresses coupled to said first transmission bus means; a SRAM 1 for storing signature information coupled to the CAM; a transparent bridge control management unit for receiving the DA and/or SA, correlating the DA with addresses in the CAM and upon a match, extracting associated signature information from the SRAM 1 and forwarding the signature information to said at least one bridge port frame handler means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
The improved multiport bridge of claim 12 wherein the transparent bridge control management unit correlates SA with CAM entries and upon a match updates selected fields in a selected entry of the SRAM 1.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
The improved multiport bridge of claim 13 further including: SRAM 2 controller coupled to the transparent bridge control management unit; and a SRAM 2 for storing SA coupled to the SRAM 2 controller.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
The improved multiport bridge of claim 14 wherein, if a SA match is not found, the transparent bridge control management unit notifies the SRAM 2 controller which transfers unmatched SA to the SRAM 2.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
44 words
The improved multiport bridge of claim 15 further including a microprocessor coupled to the transparent bridge control management unit and the transmission bus means; said microprocessor responsive to signals from the transparent bridge control management unit to transfer addresses from SRAM 2 into CAM.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
44 words
The improved multi-port bridge of claim 12 further including a means for processing Source Routing Frames coupled to the at least one Bridge Port Frame Handler; and a microcontroller coupling the means for processing Source Routing Frame to the transparent bridge control management unit.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
42 words
the improved multi-port bridge of claim 17 wherein the means for processing Source Routing Frames includes a second transmission bus means; a bus arbiter coupled to the second transmission bus means; and a packet memory coupled to the second transmission bus means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
139 words
The improved multi-port bridge of claim 12 wherein the transparent bridge control management unit includes a first buffer means for storing destination address/source address data; a second bus arbiter for allowing said at least one port handler means to access the second bus means; a central data bank means for storing information including station addresses, bridge port handler addresses, communications network types network protocol information and control information; a second control means responsive to data in the first buffer and control signals generated by the second bus arbiter to correlate the addresses in the central data bank means with an address in the first buffer and upon a matched address, extracting from said central data bank means signature information associated with the matched address and for writing said signature information to the at least one bridge port handler means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
73 words
The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein the at least one bridge port handler means includes a Bridged frame process unit for interfacing with the second bus means; a hardware device driver for interfacing with a LAN; a system interface unit for interfacing with the first bus means; a Receive frame buffer coupled to the bridged frame process unit and the hardware driver; and a Transmit frame buffer coupled to the Receive frame buffer.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of Claim 10 wherein the at least one adapter means includes a Token Ring adapter, a ethernet adapter or FDDI adapter.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
76 words
The improved multiport bridge of Claim 12 wherein the at least one bridge port frame handler means includes a Bridged frame process unit for interfacing with the second bus means; a hardware device driver for interfacing with a LAN; a system interface unit for interfacing with the first bus means; a Receive frame buffer coupled to the bridged frame process unit and the hardware driver; and a Transmit frame buffer coupled to the Receive frame buffer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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