Multi-unit switch employing virtual port forwarding
US9258219B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 11, 2014 |
| Grant date | Feb 9, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 11, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L49/111
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A multi-unit switch includes a plurality of network devices, and a central switch communicatively. The central switch includes a forwarding database for making virtual port forwarding decisions, the forwarding database being populated with virtual port entries corresponding to virtual ports of the central switch, ones of the virtual ports mapped to corresponding ones of physical ports of the plurality of network devices. The central switch is configured to make forwarding decisions to determine virtual ports to which packets are to be forwarded, and forward packets to appropriate physical ports of the central switch based on the virtual port forwarding decisions based on the mapping of virtual ports to physical ports. Network devices are configured to receive packets from the central switch and to forward the received packets to appropriate physical ports of the network devices responsively to indications of the virtual port forwarding decisions made by the central switch.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.