Arrangement determining policies for layer 3 frame fragments in a network switch
US6798788B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 14, 2000 |
| Grant date | Sep 28, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 14, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L49/503
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A 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 network switch ports, each including a policy filter configured for obtaining layer 3 and layer 4 information from a received layer 2 frame. The layer 3 information and the layer 4 information is used to determine a policy identifier that specifies a layer 3 switching operation to be performed on the received layer 2 frame. Each network switch port also includes a flow identification module that caches portions of the layer 3 information and the corresponding policy identifier. The cached portions of the layer 3 information and the corresponding policy identifier are then used by the flow identification module to identify the appropriate policy for subsequent fragmented layer 3 frames that lack the layer 4 information necessary for performing another policy lookup, but that have sufficient layer 3 information to uniquely identify each layer three flow. Hence, each layer 3 fragment can be assigned a unique policy for execution of layer 3 switching decisions.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.