Patent · US Active

Mechanism for enabling layer two host addresses to be shielded from the switches in a network

US8498293B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
12References
46Claims
0Family size

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Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 7, 2011
Grant dateJul 30, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 20, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L2101/622
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Methods and systems for shielding layer two host addresses (e.g., MAC addresses) from a network are provided. A border component interposed between a network of switches and multiple local hosts receives from a first local host a first packet destined for a first destination host. The first local host has a first layer 2 (L2) address and a first layer 3 (L3) address associated therewith. The first packet includes the first L2 address as a source L2 address for the first packet, and includes the first L3 address as a source L3 address for the first packet. The border component shields the first L2 address from the network of switches by replacing the source L2 address for the first packet with a substitute L2 address associated with a communication channel of the border component before sending the first packet to the network of switches.

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