Virtual local area network membership registration protocol for multiple spanning tree network environments
US7286491B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 6, 2002 |
| Grant date | Oct 23, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 14, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L45/484
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for disseminating Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) membership information across computer networks defining multiple spanning trees. An intermediate network device configured in accordance with the invention includes a plurality of ports and a plurality of spanning tree engines each associated with one or more VLAN designations defined within the network. The spanning tree engines transition the ports among a plurality of port states, including a forwarding state and a blocked state. For each port, a separate Generic Attribute Registration Protocol (GARP) participant is also established and each GARP participant includes a multiple spanning tree (MST) GARP VLAN Registration Protocol (MST-GVRP) application component and an associated GARP Information Declaration (GID) component. The MST-GVRP application components cooperate to define a plurality of GARP Information Propagation (GIP) contexts each of which is associated with a spanning tree engine and thus its one or more VLAN designations. The MST-GVRP applications participate in zero, one or more of the GIP contexts depending on their spanning tree port states for the corresponding V…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.