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US6147995A
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US
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Method for establishing restricted broadcast groups in a switched network
Assignee: Extreme Networks Inc
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Filing: 1999-08-31
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Granted: 2000-11-14
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Expires: 2019-08-31
Abstract
Abstract Method and apparatus for establishing restricted broadcast groups in a switched network. The method assigns different virtual LAN identifiers (VLAN-IDs) to different subsets of associated end systems or access ports. Tables are maintained for mapping the VLAN-IDs with associated end systems and access ports. When a broadcast packet is received at a first switch, it is encapsulated with a VLAN header, including the VLAN-IDs, and sent out a multicast channel to all other switches in the network (domain). The original packet is sent out the other access ports of the receiving switch for the designated VLAN-IDs. The switches receiving the VLAN packet remove the header and send the original packet out access ports associated with the VLAN-IDs extracted from the header. The method provides a mechanism for forwarding broadcast packets of a protocol not supported by the switching mechanism, as well as multicast packets and unicast packets from undiscovered end systems.
Inventors
- 👤 Kurt Dobbins
- 👤 Phil Andlauer
- 👤 Michael Skubisz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 09:53
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L45/00; H04L45/02; H04L45/04; H04L12/00; H04L12/02; H04L12/16; H04L12/18; H04L12/1886; H04L12/28; H04L12/46; H04L12/4641; H04L12/467; H04L41/00; H04L41/02; H04L41/0213; H04L45/16; H04L45/24; H04L45/34; H04L49/00; H04L49/20; H04L49/201; H04L49/35; H04L49/354; H04L12/1863; H04L12/1877; H04L2212/00; H04L41/40; H04L49/351
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
213 words
A computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions for restricting flooding of a data packet, of one of a broadcast, multicast and unknown destination type, in a switched data communications network, the network including a plurality of end systems and switches connected by links, the switches having access ports connected to end systems and network ports connected to other switches, the program instructions causing the network to: a. assign at least one identifier to a respective subset of end systems; b. map the at least one assigned identifier to an access port attached to at least one end system in the respective subset of end systems; and c. when the data packet is received from a source end system at a receiving access port of a first switch: i) determine one or more identifiers associated with the source end system; ii) encapsulate the data packet by adding a header with the one or more determined identifiers; iii) forward the encapsulated data packet to all or a subset of other switches in the network; and iv) determine if at least one access port other than the receiving access port on the first switch is associated with the one or more determined identifiers and forward the data packet out the at least one determined access port.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
213 words
A computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions for restricting flooding of a data packet, of one of a broadcast, multicast and unknown destination type, in a switched data communications network, the network including a plurality of end systems and switches connected by links, the switches having access ports connected to end systems and network ports connected to other switches, the program instructions causing the network to: a. assign at least one identifier to a respective subset of end systems; b. map the at least one assigned identifier to an access port attached to at least one end system in the respective subset of end systems; and c. when the data packet is received from a source end system at a receiving access port of a first switch: i) determine one or more identifiers associated with the source end system; ii) encapsulate the data packet by adding a header with the one or more determined identifiers; iii) forward the encapsulated data packet to all or a subset of other switches in the network; and iv) determine if at least one access port other than the receiving access port on the first switch is associated with the one or more determined identifiers and forward the data packet out the at least one determined access port.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
97 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the network to: d. when the encapsulated data packet is received at a second switch with access ports: i) strip the header from the encapsulated data packet and to determine the one or more encapsulated identifiers in the header of the encapsulated data packet; ii) determine if at least one access port of the second switch is associated with the one or more encapsulated identifiers; and iii) forward the data packet out the at least one determined access port of the second switch.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
102 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 2, further comprising instructions to cause the network to: listen to end systems heard on respective access ports at each switch and to maintain the end systems heard and their respective access ports in a mapping table at the respective switch; and upon receipt of a unicast packet for a destination end system unknown to the first switch, complete step c for the unicast packet and then at the next switch review the mapping table for the respective access port for the destination end system and forward the packet out the respective access port.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the network to, if in step c(iv) no other access port is determined, discard the data packet.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
66 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising, in step b, instructions to cause the network to: maintain a first table in each switch to relate the at least one assigned identifier to the end systems or access ports of the respective switch; and maintain a second table in each switch to relate the access ports of the respective switch to assigned identifiers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 5, further comprising, in step c.i), instructions to cause the network to: review the first table for the one or more identifiers associated with the source end system or the receiving access port.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 6, further comprising, in step c.iv), instructions to cause the network to: review the second table for an access port associated with the one or more determined identifiers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the assigned identifier is a virtual LAN identifier.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1,wherein the received data packet is of a protocol not supported by a protocol-specific call processor in the first switch.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the network to: maintain a common registry of assigned identifiers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
53 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, further comprising instructions to cause the network to: register each end system or access port with the common registry, and return a list of assigned identifiers from the common registry to each switch for the end systems or access ports of the respective switch.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, further comprising instructions to cause the network to: send a signal from the first switch to the common registry to resolve an end system or access port to its assigned identifiers.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the network to: maintain the mapping at each switch for the end system or access ports of the respective switch.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
48 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the network to: prior to assigning an identifier to a specific end system or access port, maintain a default identifier for that specific end system or access port which maps to predetermined access ports.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
43 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the network to: maintain a multicast channel of connections between all or a subset of switches and wherein step c(iii) comprises forwarding the encapsulated packet on the multicast channel.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the channel includes: a point-to-multipoint connection from each switch to all other switches in the network.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the network, at step c(iii), to provide a distributed service in the switches for forwarding the encapsulated data packet.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the network to assign the identifier based on a policy work group definition.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the network to: maintain at least one mapping table at each switch for performing the mapping step.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
48 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, further comprising instructions to cause the network to: listen to end systems heard on respective access ports at each switch and maintain the end systems heard and their respective access ports in the mapping table at the respective switch.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
30 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the network to: assign a reserved identifier without limitation as to end system and access port.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
44 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the network to: maintain a Management Information Base (MIB) interface at each switch for programming at least one mapping table, the mapping table being used to perform the mapping step.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
34 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 22, further comprising instructions to cause the network to: use a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) set message to maintain the mapping table at each switch.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
31 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the network to: maintain a status table at each switch to enable and disable a respective subset.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
215 words
A computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions for restricting flooding of a data packet, of one of a broadcast, multicast and unknown destination type, in a switch to be used in a switched data communications network, the network to include end systems and switches connected by links, the switches having access ports connected to end systems and network ports connected to other switches, the program instructions causing the switch to: a. assign at least one identifier to a respective subset of end systems; b. map the at least one assigned identifier to an access port attached to at least one end system in the respective subset of end systems; and c. when the data packet is received from a source end system at a receiving access port of the switch: i) determine one or more identifiers associated with the source end system; ii) encapsulate the data packet by adding a header with the one or more determined identifiers; iii) forward the encapsulated data packet to all or a subset of other switches in the network; and iv) determine if at least one access port other than the receiving access port on the switch is associated with the one or more determined identifiers and forward the data packet out the at least one determined access port.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
215 words
A computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions for restricting flooding of a data packet, of one of a broadcast, multicast and unknown destination type, in a switch to be used in a switched data communications network, the network to include end systems and switches connected by links, the switches having access ports connected to end systems and network ports connected to other switches, the program instructions causing the switch to: a. assign at least one identifier to a respective subset of end systems; b. map the at least one assigned identifier to an access port attached to at least one end system in the respective subset of end systems; and c. when the data packet is received from a source end system at a receiving access port of the switch: i) determine one or more identifiers associated with the source end system; ii) encapsulate the data packet by adding a header with the one or more determined identifiers; iii) forward the encapsulated data packet to all or a subset of other switches in the network; and iv) determine if at least one access port other than the receiving access port on the switch is associated with the one or more determined identifiers and forward the data packet out the at least one determined access port.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
87 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 25, further comprising instructions to cause the switch to: d. when an encapsulated data packet is received: i) strip the header from the encapsulated data packet and determine the one or more encapsulated identifiers in the header of the encapsulated data packet; ii) determine if at least one access port of the switch is associated with the one or more encapsulated identifiers; and iii) forward the data packet out the at least one determined access port of the switch.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
42 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 26, further comprising instructions to cause the switch to: listen to end systems heard on the access ports and to maintain the end systems heard and their respective access ports in a mapping table.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
31 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 25, further comprising instructions to cause the switch to, if in step c(iv) no other access port is determined, discard the data packet.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
58 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 25, further comprising, in step b, instructions to cause the switch to: maintain a first table to relate the at least one assigned identifier to the end systems or access ports of the switch; and maintain a second table to relate the access ports of the switch to assigned identifiers.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
41 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 29, further comprising, in step c.i), instructions to cause the switch to: review the first table for the one or more identifiers associated with the source end system or the receiving access port.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
36 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 30, further comprising, in step c.iv), instructions to cause the switch to: review the second table for an access port associated with the one or more determined identifiers.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
48 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 25, further comprising instructions to cause the switch to: prior to assigning an identifier to a specific end system or access port, maintain a default identifier for that specific end system or access port which maps to predetermined access ports.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 25, further comprising instructions to cause the switch to: maintain a Management Information Base (MIB) interface.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
30 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 33, further comprising instructions to cause the switch to: use a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) message to maintain a mapping table.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
28 words
The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 25, further comprising instructions to cause the switch to: maintain a status table to enable and disable a respective subset.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-11-14 | 2004-05-15 | 2004-11-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-11-14 | 2008-05-15 | 2008-11-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-11-14 | 2012-05-15 | 2012-11-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |