Patent · US Expired

System, device, and method for improving communication network reliability using trunk splitting

US7173934B2 · kind B2 · utility

161Cited by
6References
47Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 18, 2002
Grant dateFeb 6, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 5, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02D30/50
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A multilink trunk from a client device in a communication network is split between two aggregation devices such that each aggregation device is connected to at least one link of the multilink trunk. The aggregation devices work in conjunction to appear to the client device as a single device connected to the client device over the multilink trunk. The aggregation devices transmit identical bridge protocol data units to the client device over their respective links of the multilink trunk. The aggregation devices exchange operational information and data packets over inter-device communication ports. A failure of the split multilink trunk at one aggregation device is restored through the other aggregation device.

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