Computation of next hops within layer two networks
US8295291B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 21, 2009 |
| Grant date | Oct 23, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 25, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L45/484
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A device includes one or more network interfaces to receive layer two (L2) communications from an L2 network having a plurality of L2 devices; and a control unit to forward the L2 communications in accordance with forwarding information defining a plurality of flooding next hops. Each of the flooding next hops stored by the control unit specifies a set of the L2 devices within the L2 network to which to forward L2 communications in accordance with a plurality of trees, where each of the trees has a different one of the plurality of L2 devices as a root node. The control unit of the device computes a corresponding one of flooding next hops for each of the trees using only a subset of the trees without computing all of the trees having all of the different L2 network devices as root nodes.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.