Router connections through switching networks using virtual circuits
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorBallard C. Bare
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A router routes data packets between local area networks. Upon receiving data packets, the router detects a destination for the data packets. Router processing circuitry within the router searches a routing table to obtain a routing table entry for the destination. When the routing table entry indicates that a virtual circuit is to be used to pass the data packets to a next hop router, the router obtains a phone number for the next hop router. The router then uses the phone number to establish connection with the next hop router over a switching network. The router then transfers the data packets to the next hop router over the established connection.
Claims4
A router comprising:
- router processing circuitry for routing data transferred between local area networks;
- a routing table, accessed by the processing circuitry, the routing table including
- a plurality of routing table entries, each routing table entry including an address for a next hop router, and a reference to a cost value for a route represented by the table entry;
- a virtual connection map table accessed by the routing processing circuitry, the virtual connection map table having a plurality of virtual connection map table entries, each virtual connection map table entry having a phone number for a next hop router, wherein for each virtual connection, a routing table entry includes a reference to a virtual connection map table entry;
- a plurality of virtual connection circuits;
- a virtual connection map queue onto which the router places data packets to be transferred through the virtual connection circuits;
- and,
- circuit allocation routines, coupled to the plurality of virtual connection circuits and to the virtual connection map queue, for selecting a virtual connection circuit from the plurality of virtual connection circuits over which to transfer data packets from the virtual connection map queue.
A router used to route data packets between local area networks, the router comprising:
- a routing table;
- searching means, connected to the routing table, for searching the routing table to obtain a routing table entry for a destination for the data packets, the searching means including selecting means for selecting a routing table entry with a lowest associated cost value when the routing table contains more than one routing table entry for the destination;
- and,
- virtual circuit means for passing the data packets to a next hop router when the routing table entry indicates that a virtual circuit is to be used to, virtual circuit means including
- virtual circuit mapping means for obtaining a phone number for the next hop router,
- virtual circuit means for establishing connection with the next hop router over a switching network, and
- transferring means for transferring the data packets to the next hop router;
- wherein the virtual circuit means includes
- a plurality of virtual connection circuits,
- a virtual connection map queue onto which the router places data packets to be transferred through the virtual connection circuits, and
- circuit allocation routines, coupled to the plurality of virtual connection circuits and to the virtual connection map queue, for selecting a virtual connection circuit from the plurality of virtual connection circuits over which to transfer data packets from the virtual connection map queue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.