Dynamic virtual local area network connection process
US6651093B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 22, 1999 |
| Grant date | Nov 18, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 22, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L12/4641
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Method and apparatus for dynamically connecting a system under test (“SUT”) to and disconnecting an SUT from a private virtual local area network (“VLAN”) in a computer manufacturing environment are described. In a preferred embodiment, each time an SUT disposed in a burn rack boots up, a VLAN-capable switch (hereinafter “CAT”) connected thereto checks the media access control (“MAC”) address of the SUT against a MAC address-to-VLAN correlation table (“MAC-VLAN table”). If the SUT's MAC address is not listed in the MAC-VLAN table, the CAT connects the SUT to a predefined default VLAN; i.e., the manufacturer's main manufacturing network. If the SUT's MAC address is included in the MAC-VLAN table, there is a private VLAN associated with the SUT and the CAT connects the SUT to the associated VLAN in a conventional fashion, at which point custom configuration can be performed as needed on the private VLAN. The MAC-VLAN correlation is performed as follows. When an SUT is moved from the assembly line to the burn rack, it is connected to the CAT and then booted from a configuration and diagnostics disk (hereinafter “step di…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.