Network hub with integrated bridge

An apparatus for coupling to first and second networks upon which data packets are being transmitted on one or more physical data transmission media, comprising:

• a physical support for supporting electronic circuitry;
• a memory for storing data packets to be transmitted on either said first or second network and for storing data packets received from either said first or second network;
• a bridge circuit mounted on said physical support and comprising at least first and second network interface circuits coupled to said first and second networks, respectively, each said network having physical data transmission media, said first and second network interfaces for converting data packets to be transmitted on said first and/or second networks which have been retrieved from said memory into electrical signals to propagate on said physical data transmission media of said first and/or second networks, said first and second networks each coupling a plurality of computing machines together for data exchange, each said computing machine having a network address which is a source network address when said computing machine is transmitting data as electrical signals on either said first or second network and is a destination network address when said computing machine is receiving data as electrical signals from either said first or second network, said first and second network interfaces also for receiving electrical signals transmitted by one or more of said computing machines via said physical data transmission media of said first or second networks and converting said electrical signals into data packet in said memory, each said data packet having a source network address which is the network address of the computing machine which transmitted said data packet and a destination network address which is the network address of the computing machine which said data packet is bound, said bridge circuit for selectively forwarding a data packet received from a computing machine coupled to said first network to a computing machine coupled to said second network via said first network interface if the destination network address of said data packet received from said computing machine coupled to said first network is the network address of a computing machine coupled to said second network or if said destination address of the received data packet is not known to be the network address of a computing machine coupled to either of said first or second networks, and for selectively forwarding a data packet received from a computing machine coupled to said second network to a computing machine coupled to said first network via said first network interface if the destination address of said data packet received from said computing machine coupled to said second network is the network address of a computing machine coupled to said first network or if said destination network address of the received data packet is not the network address of a computing machine coupled to either of said first or second networks;
• and wherein at least one of said network interface circuits includes a repeater mounted on said physical support and which has at least two ports each of which is coupled to one of said data transmission media forming part of the network coupled to said network interface circuit which includes said repeater, said repeater for receiving data packets at one or more of said pods and automatically retransmitting said data packets out all ports of said repeater regardless of the destination network address of any particular data packet being retransmitted;
• and further comprising management means mounted on said support structure and coupled to said bridge circuit and to said first and second network interface means, for receiving Simple Network Management Protocol commands and carrying out said commands,
• and wherein said repeater is part of said first network interface circuit and includes an Attachment Unit Interface port from which are transmitted said data packets being transmitted from the other of said ports of said repeater and which can receive data packets, and further comprising switch means for selectively coupling said Attachment Unit Interface port to said second network interface circuit, and wherein said bridge circuit includes bypass means for setting said switch means such that said Attachment Unit Interface port is coupled to said second network in a bypass mode such that any data packet arriving at said Attachment Unit Interface from either of said first or second networks is automatically repeated on the other network, and wherein said management means includes means for receiving in-band management data packets from computing machines coupled to either said first network or second network and carrying out said commands.

An apparatus for coupling to first and second networks upon which data packets are being transmitted on one or more physical data transmission media, comprising:

• a physical support for supporting electronic circuitry;
• a memory for storing data packets to be transmitted on either said first or second network and for storing data packets received from either said first or second network;
• a bridge circuit mounted on said physical support and comprising at least first and second network interface circuits coupled to said first and second networks, respectively, each said network having physical data transmission media, said first and second network interfaces for converting data packets to be transmitted on said first and/or second networks which have been retrieved from said memory into electrical signals to propagate on said physical data transmission media of said first and/or second networks, said first and second networks each coupling a plurality of computing machines together for data exchange, each said computing machine having a network address which is a source network address when said computing machine is transmitting data as electrical signals on either said first or second network and is a destination network address when said computing machine is receiving data as electrical signals from either said first or second network, said first and second network interfaces also for receiving electrical signals transmitted by one or more of said computing machines via said physical data transmission media of said first or second networks and converting said electrical signals into data packets for storage in said memory, each said data packet having a source network address which is the network address of the computing machine which transmitted said data packet and a destination network address which is the network address of the computing machine for which said data packet is bound, said bridge circuit for selectively forwarding a data packet received from a computing machine coupled to said first network to a computing machine coupled to said second network via said second network interface if the destination network address of said data packet received from said computing machine coupled to said first network is the network address of a computing machine coupled to said second network or if said destination address of the received data packet is not known to be the network address of a computing machine coupled to either of said first or second networks, and for selectively forwarding a data packet received from a computing machine coupled to said second network to a computing machine coupled to said first network via said first network interface if the destination address of said data packet received from said computing machine coupled to said second network is the network address of a computing machine coupled to said first network or if said destination network address of the received data packet is not the network address of a computing machine coupled to either of said first or second networks;
• and wherein at least one of said network interface circuits includes a repeater mounted on said physical support and which has at least two ports each of which is coupled to one of said data transmission media forming part of the network coupled to said network interface circuit which includes said repeater, said repeater for receiving data packets at one or more of said ports and automatically retransmitting said data packets out all ports of said repeater regardless of the destination network address of any particular data packet being retransmitted;
• and further comprising management means mounted on said support structure and coupled to said bridge circuit and to said first and second network interface means, for receiving Simple Network Management Protocol commands and carrying out said commands, and
• wherein said bridge circuit includes means for selective deactivation of bridging activity in a bypass mode which, when active, causes all data packets received from said first network to be retransmitted on said second network and which causes all data packets received from said second network to be retransmitted on said first network, and further comprising isolate means for selectively preventing any transfer of data packets from said first network to said second network and which prevents any transfer of data packets from said second network to said first network.

An apparatus for connection to first and second local area networks, each said network coupled to a plurality of machines by a plurality of transceiver cables, each said network having different network addresses for computer software processes in execution on said machines coupled thereto, comprising:

• a support structure including a housing;
• memory means mechanically coupled to said support structure for storing data and a computer program, said data comprising data packets to be transmitted on said first network stored in a first transmit buffer, and data packets to be transmitted on said second network stored in a second transmit buffer, and data packets received from said first network stored in a first receive buffer, and data packets received from said second network stored in a second receive buffer;
• twenty six or fewer hub port means affixed to said support structure, for coupling to a first network external to said support structure via a plurality of corresponding transceiver cables coupled to and carrying data to and from a plurality of machines each of which has computer software processes in execution thereon, each said computer software process having a network address, and wherein when each said computer software process is acting as a source of a data packet said data packet transmitted by said computer software process will contain the network address of said computer software process as the source network address, and wherein when each said computer software process is a destination of a data packet, said data packet received by said computer software process will contain the network address of said computer software process as the destination network address, each said hub port means for sending data packets out on said first network segment via a transceiver cable and for receiving data packets from said first network via a transceiver cable;
• hub means for receiving a data packet from any of said hub port means and for retransmitting each said data packet out on said first network through every other said hub port means coupled to said first network other than said hub port means from which said data packet was received, and for sending all said retransmitted data packets out on a data path affixed to said support structure and which carries data which came from or which is bound for said first network, each said data packet having a source network address identifying the network address of the machine from which the data originated and a destination network address identifying the network address of the machine for which the data is bound;
• first network controller means affixed to said support structure for retrieving data packets from said first transmit buffer in said memory means and for sending said retrieved data packets out on said first network by sending said data packets to said hub means via said data path, and for receiving data packets from said hub means via said data path and storing said data packets in said first receive buffer in said memory means;
• second network transceiver means affixed to said support structure for receiving data packets and for transmitting data packets on said second network;
• second network controller means affixed to said support structure and coupled to said second network transceiver means, for retrieving data packets from said second transmit buffer in said memory means and for sending said retrieved data packets to said second network transceiver means for transmission on said second network, and for receiving data packets from said second network transceiver means and for storing said data packets in said second receive buffer;
• computer means affixed to said support structure and coupled to said memory means and to said first and second network controllers and said hub means by an address and control bus and by a data bus, said computer means for executing a computer program stored in said memory means, said computer program including bridge means for selectively coupling data packets from said first network to said second network and vice versa, said selective coupling performed by reading at least the destination network address of each received data packet in said first and second receive buffers in said memory means and, for each data packet, comparing the destination network address of the data packet to which the data packet is to be sent to data indicating whether said destination network address is located on said first network or on said second network, and, if the data packet was retrieved from said first receive buffer but is addressed to a destination network address on said second network, for forwarding said data packet to said second network controller via said data bus, and, if the data packet was retrieved from said second receive buffer but is addressed to a destination network address on said first network, for forwarding said data packet to said first network controller via said data bus for transmission on said first network and for discarding any data packet retrieved from either the first or second receive buffer if the destination network address of the data packet is on the same network as the source network address from which said data packet originated, said computer program further comprising management means for receiving, from a management process in execution on a computer external to said support structure, management commands and requests to control or gather data from said hub means, said hub port means, said first network controller means, said second network controller means, said second transceiver means or said bridge means, and for carrying out said commands or gathering the requested data and sending said data back to said management process that originated said management command or data request.

An apparatus for connection to first and second networks, each said network having different network addresses for computer software processes in execution on machines coupled thereto, comprising:

• a support structure including a housing;
• memory means mechanically coupled to said support structure for storing data and a computer program, said data comprising data packets to be transmitted on said first network stored in a first transmit buffer, and data packets to be transmitted on said second network stored in a second transmit buffer, and data packets received from said first network stored in a first receive buffer, and data packets received from said second network stored in a second receive buffer;
• twenty six or fewer hub port means affixed to said support structure, for coupling to a first network external to said support structure via a plurality of corresponding transceiver lines which are coupled to and carry data to and from a plurality of machines, each of which has computer software processes in execution thereon, each said computer software process having a network address, and wherein when each said computer software process is a source of a data packet, said data packet transmitted by said computer software process will contain the network address of said computer software process as the source network address, and wherein when each said computer software process is a destination of a data packet, said data packet received by said computer software process will contain the network address of said computer software process as the destination network address, each said hub port means for sending data packets out on said first network via a corresponding transceiver cable and for receiving data packets from said first network via a corresponding transceiver cable;
• hub means for receiving a data packet from any of said hub port means and for retransmitting each said data packet out on said first network through every other said hub port means coupled to said first network other than said hub port means from which said data packet was received, and for sending all said retransmitted data packets out on a data path affixed to said support structure and which carries data packets which came from or which are bound for said first network, each said data packet having a source network address identifying the network address of the machine from which the data packet originated and a destination network address identifying the network address of the machine for which the data packet is bound;
• first network controller means affixed to said support structure for retrieving data packets from said first transmit buffer in said memory means and for sending said retrieved data packets out on said first network by sending said data packets to said hub means via said data path, and for receiving data packets from said hub means via said data path and storing said data packets in said first receive buffer in said memory means;
• second network transceiver means affixed to said support structure for receiving and transmitting data packets on said second network;
• second network controller means affixed to said support structure and coupled to said second network transceiver means, for retrieving data packets from said second transmit buffer in said memory means and for sending said retrieved data packets to said second network transceiver means for transmission on said second network, and for receiving data packets from said second network transceiver means and for storing said data packets in said second receive buffer;
• computer means affixed to said support structure and coupled to said memory means and to said first and second network controllers and said hub means by an address and control bus and by a data bus, said computer means for executing a computer program stored in said memory means, said computer program including bridge means for selectively coupling data packets from said first network to said second network and vice versa, said selective coupling performed by reading at least the destination network address of each received data packet in said first and second receive buffers in said memory means and, for each data packet, comparing the destination network address to which the data packet is to be sent to data indicating whether said destination network address is located on said first network or on said second network, and, if the data packet was retrieved from said first receive buffer but is addressed to a destination network address on said second network, for forwarding said data packet to said second network controller via said data bus, and, if the data packet was retrieved from said second receive buffer but is addressed to a destination network address on said first network, for forwarding said data packet to said first network controller via said data bus for transmission on said first network and for discarding any data packet retrieved from either the first or second receive buffer if the destination network address of the data packet is on the same network as the source network address from which said data packet originated, said computer program means further comprising management means for receiving from a management process in execution external to said support structure management commands and requests to control or gather data from said hub means, said hub port means, said first network controller means, said second network controller means, said second transceiver means or said bridge means, and for carrying out said commands or gathering the requested data and sending said data back to said management process that originated said management command or data request, and wherein said computer program further comprises bridge bypass means for selectively disabling said bridge means such that every data packet retrieved from said first receive buffer is forwarded to said second network controller means via said data bus for transmission on said second network, and every data packet retrieved from said second receive buffer is forwarded to said first network controller means via said data bus for transmission on said first network.

An apparatus for connection to first and second networks, each said network characterized by different network addresses for computer software processes in execution on machines coupled thereto, comprising:

• a support structure including a housing;
• memory means mechanically coupled to said support structure for storing data and a computer program, said data comprising data packets to be transmitted on said first network stored in a first transmit buffer, and data packets to be transmitted on said second network stored in a second transmit buffer, and data packets received from said first network stored in a first receive buffer, and data packets received from said second network stored in a second receive buffer;
• twenty six or fewer hub port means affixed to said support structure, for coupling to a first network external to said support structure via a plurality of corresponding transceiver cables which are coupled to and carry data to and from a plurality of machines each of which has computer software processes in execution thereon, each said computer software process having a network address, and wherein when said computer software process is a source of a data packet, said data packet transmitted by said computer software process will contain the network address of said computer software process as the source network address, and wherein when said computer software process is a destination of a data packet, said data packet received by said computer software process will contain the network address of said computer software process as the destination network address, each said hub port means for sending data packets out on said first network segment via a corresponding transceiver cable and for receiving data packets from said first network via a corresponding transceiver cable;
• hub means for receiving a data packet from any of said hub port means and for retransmitting each said data packet out on said first network through every other said hub port means coupled to said first network other than said hub port means from which said data packet was received, and for sending all said retransmitted data packets out on a data path affixed to said support structure and which carries data which came from or which is bound for said first network, each said data packet having a source network address identifying the network address of the machine from which the data originated and a destination network address identifying the network address of the machine for which the data is bound;
• first network controller means affixed to said support structure for retrieving data packets from said first transmit buffer in said memory means and for sending said retrieved data packets out on said first network by sending said data packets to said hub means via said data path, and for receiving data packets from said hub means via said data path and storing said data packets in said first receive buffer in said memory means;
• second network transceiver means affixed to said support structure for sending and receiving data packets on said second network via a repeater and twenty-six or fewer media access units coupling said repeater to conductors of said second network;
• second network controller means affixed to said support structure and coupled to said second network transceiver means, for retrieving data packets from said second transmit buffer in said memory means and for sending said retrieved data packets to said second network transceiver means for transmission on said second network, and for receiving data packets from said second network transceiver means and for storing said data packets in said second receive buffer;
• computer means affixed to said support structure and coupled to said memory means and to said first and second network controllers and said hub means by an address and control bus and by a data bus, said computer means for executing a computer program stored in said memory means, said computer program including bridge means for selectively coupling data packets from said first network to said second network and vice versa, said selective coupling performed by reading at least the destination network address of each received data packet in said first and second receive buffers in said memory means and, for each data packet, comparing the destination network address to which the data packet is to be sent to data indicating whether said destination network address is located on said first network or on said second network, and, if the data packet was retrieved from said first receive buffer but is addressed to a destination network address on said second network, for forwarding said data packet to said second network controller via said data bus, and, if the data packet was retrieved from said second receive buffer but is addressed to a destination network address on said first network, for forwarding said data packet to said first network controller via said data bus for transmission on said first network and for discarding any data packet retrieved from either the first or second receive buffer if the destination network address of the data packet is on the same network as the source network address from which said data packet originated, and wherein said computer program further comprises bridge bypass means for selectively disabling said bridge means such that every data packet retrieved from said first receive buffer is forwarded to said second network controller means via said data bus regardless of the destination network address of said data packet for transmission on said second network, and every data packet retrieved from said second receive buffer is forwarded to said first network controller means via said data bus regardless of the destination network address of said data packet for transmission on said first network, and wherein said computer program further comprises isolate means for selectively disabling said bridge means when an isolate mode is active by preventing any transfer of data packets from said first network segment to said second network segment.

An apparatus for coupling to first and second networks upon which data packets are being transmitted on one or more physical media segments, comprising:

• a physical support for supporting electronic circuitry;
• a memory for storing data packets to be transmitted on either said first or second network and for storing data packets received from either said first or second network;
• a bridge circuit mounted on said physical support and comprising at least first and second network interface circuits coupled to said first and second networks, respectively, each said network having physical data transmission media, said first and second network interfaces for converting data packets to be transmitted on said first and/or second networks and retrieved from said memory into electrical signals to propagate on said physical data transmission media of said first and/or second networks, said first and second networks each coupling a plurality of computing machines together for data exchange, each said computing machine having a network address which is a source network address in a data packet when said computing machine is transmitting said data packet as electrical signals on either said first or second network and is a destination network address in a data packet when said computing machine is receiving said data packet as electrical signals from either first or second network, said first and second network interfaces also for receiving electrical signals transmitted by one or more of said computing machines via said physical data transmission media of said first or second networks and converting said electrical signals into data packets for storage in said memory, each said data packet having a source network address indicating the computing machine which transmitted said data packet and a destination network address indicating the computing machine for which said data packet is bound, said bridge circuit for selectively forwarding a data packet received from a computing machine coupled to said first network to a computing machine coupled to said second network via said second network interface if the destination network address of said data packet received from said computing machine coupled to said first network is the network address of a computing machine coupled to said second network or if said destination network address of the received data packet has not been previously recorded in said memory by said bridge means as the network address of a computing machine coupled to either of said first or second networks, and for selectively forwarding a data packet received from a computing machine coupled to said second network to a computing machine coupled to said first network via said first network interface if the destination network address of said data packet received from said computing machine coupled to said second network is the network address of a computing machine coupled to said first network or if said destination network address of the received data packet has not been previously recorded by said bridge means in said memory as the network address of a computing machine coupled to either of said first or second networks;
• and wherein at least one of said network interface circuits includes a repeater mounted on said physical support and which has at least two ports each of which is coupled to a physical media segment forming part of the network coupled to said network interface circuit which repeater, said repeater for receiving data packets at one or more of said ports and automatically retransmitting said data packets out on all other ports of said repeater regardless of the destination network address of any particular data packet being retransmitted;
• and
• a management circuit coupled to said bridge circuits, said repeater(s) and said network interface circuits, for receiving and carrying out management commands,
• and wherein each said repeater drives an attachment unit interface port and twenty-six or fewer media access units, and further comprising a bypass circuit for bypassing said bridge circuit such that any data packet arriving from either of said first or second networks is automatically transmitted on the other network via the network interface circuit and all media access units connected thereto in addition to being retransmitted via the network interface circuit of the network from which said data packet originated and substantially all media access units coupled thereto.

An apparatus for coupling to first and second networks upon which data packets are being transmitted on one or more physical media segments, comprising:

• a physical support for supporting electronic circuitry;
• a memory for storing data packets to be transmitted on either said first or second network and for storing data packets received from either said first or second network;
• a bridge circuit mounted on said physical support and comprising at least first and second network interface circuits coupled to said first and second networks, respectively, each said network having physical data transmission media, said first and second network interfaces for converting data packets to be transmitted on said first and/or second networks and retrieved from said memory into electrical signals to propagate on said physical data transmission media of said first and/or second networks, said first and second networks each coupling a plurality of computing machines together for data exchange, each said computing machine having a network address which is a source network address in a data packet when said computing machine is transmitting said data packet as electrical signals on either said first or second network and is a destination network address in a data packet when said computing machine is receiving said data packet as electrical signals from either first or second network, said first and second network interfaces also for receiving electrical signals transmitted by one or more of said computing machines via said physical data transmission media of said first or second networks and converting said electrical signals into data packets for storage in said memory, each said data packet having a source network address indicating the computing machine which transmitted said data packet and a destination network address indicating the computing machine for which said data packet is bound, said bridge circuit for selectively forwarding a data packet received from a computing machine coupled to said first network to a computing machine coupled to said second network via said second network interface if the destination network address of said data packet received from said computing machine coupled to said first network is the network address of a computing machine coupled to said second network or if said destination network address of the received data packet has not been previously recorded in said memory by said bridge means as the network address of a computing machine coupled to either of said first or second networks, and for selectively forwarding a data packet received from a computing machine coupled to said second network to a computing machine coupled to said first network via said first network interface if the destination network address of said data packet received from said computing machine coupled to said second network is the network address of a computing machine coupled to said first network or if said destination network address of the received data packet has not been previously recorded by said bridge means in said memory as the network address of a computing machine coupled to either of said first or second networks;
• and wherein at least one of said network interface circuits includes a repeater mounted on said physical support and which has at least two ports each of which is coupled to a physical media segment forming part of the network coupled to said network interface circuit which includes said repeater, said repeater for receiving data packets at one or more of said ports and automatically retransmitting said data packets out on all other ports of said repeater regardless of the destination network address of any particular data packet being retransmitted;
• and
• a management circuit coupled to said bridge circuit, said repeater(s) and said network interface circuits, for receiving and carrying out management commands, and
• wherein said apparatus includes means coupled to said bridge circuit, said network interface circuit and said repeater(s) for implementing the national standard Internet Protocol defined by RFC 791, the Internet Control Message Protocol defined by RFC 792, the Address Resolution Protocol defined by RFC 826, and the Reverse Address Resolution Protocol defined by RFC 903 as these protocols were defined and published by the IETF at the time this application was filed.

An apparatus for coupling to first and second networks upon which data packets are being transmitted on one or more physical media segments, comprising:

• a physical support for supporting electronic circuitry;
• a memory for storing data packets to be transmitted on either said first or second network and for storing data packets received from either said first or second network;
• a bridge circuit mounted on said physical support and comprising at least first and second network interface circuits coupled to said first and second networks, respectively, each said network having physical data transmission media, said first and second network interfaces for converting data packets to be transmitted on said first and/or second networks and retrieved from said memory into electrical signals to propagate on said physical data transmission media of said first and/or second networks, said first and second networks each coupling a plurality of computing machines together for data exchange, each said computing machine having a network address which is a source network address in a data packet when said computing machine is transmitting said data packet as electrical signals on either said first or second network and is a destination network address in a data packet when said computing machine is receiving said data packet as electrical signals from either first or second network, said first and second network interfaces also for receiving electrical signals transmitted by one or more of said computing machines via said physical data transmission media of said first or second networks and converting said electrical signals into data packets for storage in said memory, each said data packet having a source network address indicating the computing machine which transmitted said data packet and a destination network address indicating the computing machine for which said data packet is bound, said bridge circuit for selectively forwarding a data packet received from a computing machine coupled to said first network to a computing machine coupled to said second network via said second network interface if the destination network address of said data packet received from said computing machine coupled to said first network is the network address of a computing machine coupled to said second network or if said destination network address of the received data packet has not been previously recorded in said memory by said bridge means as the network address of a computing machine coupled to either of said first or second networks, and for selectively forwarding a data packet received from a computing machine coupled to said second network to a computing machine coupled to said first network via said first network interface if the destination network address of said data packet received from said computing machine coupled to said second network is the network address of a computing machine coupled to said first network or if said destination network address of the received data packet has not been previously recorded by said bridge means in said memory as the network address of a computing machine coupled to either of said first or second networks;
• and wherein at least one of said network interface circuits includes a repeater mounted on said physical support and which has at least two ports each of which is coupled to a physical media segment forming part of the network coupled to said network interface circuit which includes said repeater, said repeater for receiving data packets at one or more of said ports and automatically retransmitting said data packets out on all other ports of said repeater regardless of the destination network address of any particular data packet being retransmitted;
• and
• a management circuit coupled to said bridge circuit, said repeater(s) and said network interface circuits, for receiving and carrying out management commands, and
• wherein said management circuit implements the Simplified Network Management Protocol defined in national standard RFC 1157 and the User Datagram Protocol defined in national standard RFC 768 as these protocols were defined and published by the IETF at the time this application was filed.