Patent · US Expired

Method for sending packets between trunk ports of network switches

US6104696A · kind A · utility

277Cited by
7References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 30, 1999
Grant dateAug 15, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 30, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99945
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method of sending packets between ports on trunked network switches. The method includes providing a first switch having a plurality of communication ports thereupon, and providing a second switch having a plurality of communication ports thereupon. A trunk connection is provided between the first switch and the second switch, with the trunk connection including at least two of the plurality of ports from the first switch being connected to at least two of the plurality of ports of the second switch. A rules table is provided, defining a set of rules identifying which port of the trunk connection will be used for communication. A packet is sent from a first port on the first switch to a second port on the second switch. The packet is received at an ingress submodule of the first switch, and a lookup is performed on one of a source address and a destination address of the packet based upon a lookup table provided in the ingress submodule. It is then identified that the first switch and second switch are connected with the trunk connection by a trunk bit in a lookup entry matched by the destination address. A rules tag bit in the look…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.