Usage of masked ethernet addresses between transparent interconnect of lots of links (TRILL) routing bridges
US8755383B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 31, 2011 |
| Grant date | Jun 17, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 5, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L45/66
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Techniques herein include systems and methods that extend functionality of transport networks including Transparent Interconnect of Lots of Links (TRILL) networks. Techniques include using a portion of information within transport device address encapsulation headers for purposes other than identifying source and destination device addresses. The system masks a portion of bits in an address header for an address lookup in forwarding tables of a transport network node. The remaining bits in the address field(s) become free bits that can be used for a variety of application purposes, such as flow identifier selection. By using information fields that already exist in encapsulation headers, such techniques provide additional information without increasing packet size or requiring new protocols. Embodiments can combine Equal-cost multi-path routing (ECMP) functionality, Reverse Path Forwarding (RPF) checks, and Time to live (TTL) protection at the same time.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.