# US 12,010,008 B2 · Network communication method and apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,010,008 B2 - Document ID: US12010008B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/958,662 - Filed: 2018-12-24 - Published: 2021-08-12 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-29 - Assignees: Alibaba Group Holding Limited - Applicants: Alibaba Group Holding Limited - Inventors: Zhuo Song - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010008B2 ## CPC - H04L 45/54: {Organization of routing tables} - H04L 45/02: Topology update or discovery - H04L 45/7453: using hashing - H04L 61/103: across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP] - H04L 61/58: Caching of addresses or names - H04L 2101/622: Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract The present application discloses a network communication method and apparatus. The method includes: receiving and parsing a packet so as to acquire a destination host Internet Protocol address; performing a single query on a route-neighbor table according to the destination host Internet Protocol address so as to acquire a physical address and a route type of a next hop route; and sending the packet according to the physical address and the route type. The present application simplifies an entire three-layer encapsulation processing process, and reduces occupancy of resources. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A network communication method, comprising: receiving and parsing a packet so as to acquire a destination host Internet Protocol address; performing a single query on a route-neighbor table according to the destination host Internet Protocol address so as to acquire a physical address and a route type of a next hop route, wherein the route type comprises a local area network, wherein if a number of hosts in the local area network is countable, then the route-neighbor table stores Internet Protocol addresses, physical addresses, route information, and route types, wherein the route-neighbor table is a data structure that combines a routing table and a neighbor table into one table, and wherein information of the routing table and the neighbor table is stored in one data structure; and sending the packet according to the physical address and the route type. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The network communication method according to claim 1, wherein the route-neighbor table is a hash data table; correspondingly, the performing the single query on the route-neighbor table is specifically performing a single hash query on the route-neighbor table. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The network communication method according to claim 1, wherein before the packet is sent, the physical address is encapsulated into an Ethernet packet header of the packet. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The network communication method according to claim 1, wherein the route-neighbor table is a hash data table comprising fields of an Internet Protocol address, a physical address, route information, and a route type of a network device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The network communication method according to claim 1, wherein the route types comprise a route, the local area network, and a wide area network. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The network communication method according to claim 5, wherein the route types are indicated by different values. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The network communication method according to claim 1, wherein all of the route types are the local area network. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The network communication method according to claim 1, wherein the route-neighbor table is a hash data table comprising fields of an Internet Protocol address, a physical address, and route information of a network device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The network communication method according to claim 1, wherein the route-neighbor table is a hash data table comprising fields of an Internet Protocol address and a physical address of a network device. ### Claim 10 A network communication method, comprising: receiving and parsing a packet so as to acquire a destination host Internet Protocol address; determining whether a route-neighbor table is enabled, and if so, then performing a single query on the route-neighbor table so as to acquire a physical address and a route type of a next hop route, wherein the route type comprises a local area network, wherein if a number of hosts in the local area network is countable, then the route-neighbor table stores Internet Protocol addresses, physical addresses, route information, and route types, wherein the route-neighbor table is a data structure that combines a routing table and a neighbor table into one table, and wherein information of the routing table and the neighbor table is stored in one data structure; and sending the packet according to the physical address and the route type. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The network communication method according to claim 10, wherein the route-neighbor table is a hash data table; correspondingly, the performing the single query on the route-neighbor table is specifically performing a single hash query on the route-neighbor table. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The network communication method according to claim 10, wherein before the packet is sent to the physical address, the physical address is encapsulated into an Ethernet packet header of the packet. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The network communication method according to claim 10, wherein the route-neighbor table is a hash data table comprising fields of an Internet Protocol address, a physical address, route information, and a route type of a network device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The network communication method according to claim 10, wherein the route types comprise a route, the local area network, and a wide area network. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The network communication method according to claim 10, wherein all of the route types are the local area network. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The network communication method according to claim 10, wherein the route-neighbor table is a hash data table comprising fields of an Internet Protocol address, a physical address, and route information of a network device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The network communication method according to claim 10, wherein the route-neighbor table is a data table comprising fields of an Internet Protocol address and a physical address, and is used to record information of a network device. ### Claim 18 A network communication method, comprising: receiving and parsing a packet so as to acquire a destination host Internet Protocol address; determining whether a route-neighbor table is enabled; if so, then performing a single query on the route-neighbor table, and if a physical address of a next hop route is not found, then performing a next step, wherein the route-neighbor table comprises a route type, wherein the route type comprises a local area network, wherein if a number of hosts in the local area network is countable, then the route-neighbor table stores Internet Protocol addresses, physical addresses, route information, and route types, wherein the route-neighbor table is a data structure that combines a routing table and a neighbor table into one table, and wherein information of the routing table and the neighbor table is stored in one data structure; acquiring an Internet Protocol address of the next hop route by means of a route matching algorithm; acquiring the physical address of the next hop route according to the Internet Protocol address of the next hop route; and updating the physical address of the next hop route to the route-neighbor table, and sending the packet to the physical address. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The network communication method according to claim 18, wherein before the sending the packet to the physical address, the physical address is encapsulated into an Ethernet packet header of the packet. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The network communication method according to claim 18, wherein the route-neighbor table is a hash data table further comprising fields of an Internet Protocol address, a physical address, and route information of a network device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The network communication method according to claim 18, wherein the route types comprise a route, the local area network, and a wide area network. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The network communication method according to claim 18, wherein all of the route types are the local area network. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The network communication method according to claim 18, wherein the route-neighbor table is a data table comprising fields of an Internet Protocol address, a physical address, and route information of a network device. ### Claim 24 (depends on 18) The network communication method according to claim 18, wherein the route-neighbor table is a hash data table comprising fields of an Internet Protocol address and a physical address of a network device. ### Claim 25 A network communication method, comprising: receiving and parsing a packet so as to acquire a destination host Internet Protocol address; determining whether a route-neighbor table is enabled, and if not, then querying a routing table according to the destination host Internet Protocol address so as to acquire an Internet Protocol address of a next hop route, wherein the route-neighbor table comprises a route type, wherein the route type comprises a local area network, wherein if a number of hosts in the local area network is countable, then the route-neighbor table stores Internet Protocol addresses, physical addresses, route information, and route types, wherein the route-neighbor table is a data structure that combines a routing table and a neighbor table into one table, and wherein information of the routing table and the neighbor table is stored in one data structure; querying a neighbor table according to the Internet Protocol address of the next hop route so as to acquire a physical address of the next hop route; and sending the packet to the physical address. ### Claim 26 A network communication method, comprising: verifying whether a destination host Internet Protocol address is a local address; if so, then receiving a packet, and sending the packet to a target application according to a packet port number; and if not, then when a forwarding function is enabled, performing a single query on a route-neighbor table so as to acquire a router physical address, wherein the route-neighbor table comprises a route type, wherein the route type comprises a local area network, wherein if a number of hosts in the local area network is countable, then the route-neighbor table stores Internet Protocol addresses, physical addresses, route information, and route types, wherein the route-neighbor table is a data structure that combines a routing table and a neighbor table into one table, and wherein information of the routing table and the neighbor table is stored in one data structure, replacing a physical address of a received packet with the router physical address, and forwarding the received packet to the router physical address. ### Claim 27 A network communication apparatus, comprising: a parsing unit configured to receive and parse a packet so as to acquire a destination host Internet Protocol address; a query unit configured to perform a single query on a route-neighbor table according to the destination host Internet Protocol address so as to acquire a physical address and a route type of a next hop route, wherein the route type comprises a local area network, wherein if a number of hosts in the local area network is countable, then the route-neighbor table stores Internet Protocol addresses, physical addresses, route information, and route types, wherein the route-neighbor table is a data structure that combines a routing table and a neighbor table into one table, and wherein information of the routing table and the neighbor table is stored in one data structure; and a packet sending unit configured to send the packet according to the physical address and the route type. ### Claim 28 A network communication apparatus, comprising: a parsing unit configured to receive and parse a packet so as to acquire a destination host Internet Protocol address; a determination unit configured to determine whether a route-neighbor table is enabled; a query unit configured to, when the route-neighbor table is enabled, perform a single query on the route-neighbor table so as to acquire a physical address and a route type of a next hop route, wherein the route type comprises a local area network, wherein if a number of hosts in the local area network is countable, then the route-neighbor table stores Internet Protocol addresses, physical addresses, route information, and route types, wherein the route-neighbor table is a data structure that combines a routing table and a neighbor table into one table, and wherein information of the routing table and the neighbor table is stored in one data structure; and a packet sending unit configured to send the packet according to the physical address and the route type.