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US 2026/0143049 A1Published application
Variable Frame Headers
AssigneeGraphcore Limited
InventorsBjorn Dag JOHNSEN, Brian Edward MANULA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In order to provide for the extension of either the MAC address or the VLAN identifier as required, a sliding cursor functionality between the MAC address and the VLAN identifier is provided. The MAC address may be extended by borrowing bits conventionally used for representing part of the VLAN identifier. Similarly, VLAN identifier may be extended by borrowing bits conventionally used for representing part of the MAC address.
Claims18
A network switch comprising:
- a plurality of ports, wherein at least some of the ports are configured to send and receive traffic belonging to different virtual local area networks;
- storage comprising, for a first port of the plurality of ports, a plurality of combinations of virtual local area network identifier and destination media access control address that are permitted for transmission over the first port, wherein for each of the combinations, a total number of bits of a permitted virtual local area network identifier and a permitted destination media access control address is the same, and wherein for some of the combinations, a length of the permitted virtual local area network identifiers varies combination-to-combination;
- and
- processing circuitry configured to, in response to receipt of a first frame for delivery over the first port:
- determine whether any of the permitted virtual local area network identifiers are present in a header of the first frame;
- and
- in response to determining that a first of the permitted virtual local area network identifiers is present in the header of the first frame, examine whether a further plurality of bits in the first frame matches any permitted destination media access control address for the first of the permitted virtual local network identifiers, wherein a length of the further plurality of bits depends upon a length of the first of the permitted virtual local area network identifiers identified in the first frame.
4 more elements
A method implemented in a switch comprising a plurality of ports, the method comprising:
- storing, for a first port of the plurality of ports, a plurality of combinations of virtual local area network identifier and destination media access control address that are permitted for transmission over the first port, wherein for each of the combinations, a total number of bits of a permitted virtual local area network identifier and permitted destination media access control address is the same, and wherein for some of the combinations, a length of the permitted virtual local area network identifiers varies combination-to-combination;
- sending and receiving traffic belonging to different virtual local area networks over at least some of the ports comprising receipt of a first frame of the traffic for delivery over the first port;
- and
- in response to the receipt of the first frame of the traffic for delivery over the first port:
- determining whether any of the permitted virtual local area network identifiers are present in a header of the first frame;
- and
- in response to determining that a first of the permitted virtual local area network identifiers is present in the header of the first frame, examining whether a further plurality of bits in the first frame match any permitted destination media access control address for the first of the permitted virtual local network identifiers, wherein a length of the further plurality of bits depends upon a length of the first of the permitted virtual local area network identifiers identified in the first frame.
4 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions which when executed on one or more processors perform the steps of:
- storing, for a first port of the plurality of ports, a plurality of combinations of virtual local area network identifier and destination media access control address that are permitted for transmission over the first port, wherein for each of the combinations, a total number of bits of a permitted virtual local area network identifier and permitted destination media access control address is the same, and wherein for some of the combinations, a length of the permitted virtual local area network identifiers varies combination-to-combination;
- sending and receiving traffic belonging to different virtual local area networks over at least some of the ports comprising receipt of a first frame of the traffic for delivery over the first port;
- and
- in response to the receipt of the first frame of the traffic for delivery over the first port:
- determining whether any of the permitted virtual local area network identifiers are present in a header of the first frame;
- and
- in response to determining that a first of the permitted virtual local area network identifiers is present in the header of the first frame, examining whether a further plurality of bits in the first frame match any permitted destination media access control address for the first of the permitted virtual local network identifiers, wherein a length of the further plurality of bits depends upon a length of the first of the permitted virtual local area network identifiers identified in the first frame.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.