System and method for network management of local area networks having non-blocking network switches configured for switching data packets between subnetworks based on management policies
US6718379B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 9, 2000 |
| Grant date | Apr 6, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 8, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L63/12
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A centralized policy server sends policy messages, that describe network management policy, to network switches. Each policy message includes a packet attribute that enables a network switch to uniquely identify a received data packet, and either a priority level or network switch action that describes the switching operation to be performed by the network switch. The network switches are configured for implementing the network management policy by storing switching actions for prescribed data packets, and templates that specify frame data parameters for identifying the prescribed data packets. Each network switch, configured for performing layer 2 and layer 3 switching in an Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) network without blocking of incoming data packets, includes in each network switch port a packet classifier module configured for classifying a received data packet based on a template generated based on the policy messages. In particular, the network switch stores a plurality of user-programmable templates, each configured for identifying a corresponding class of data packet.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.