Patent · US Expired

Address resolution method for a virtual private network, and customer edge device for implementing the method

US7221675B2 · kind B2 · utility

32Cited by
6References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 22, 2002
Grant dateMay 22, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 15, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L61/10
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A virtual private network (VPN) service is provided through a shared network infrastructure, with customer edge (CE) devices each having a provider edge (PE) interface having a single layer 3 address in the VPN. An address resolution request message is transmitted by a first CE device on plural layer 2 virtual circuits of its PE interface. The address resolution request message including the layer 3 address allocated to a second CE device of the VPN. In response to reception of such request message at the second CE device, an address resolution response message is returned to the first CE device. In response to reception of this response message, the first CE device maps the layer 3 address allocated to the second CE device to a virtual LAN identifier of the layer 2 virtual circuit on which the response message is received.

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