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US 6,188,689 B1Granted
Network node and method of frame transfer
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorsYasuhiro Katsube, Katsumi Yamato, Shigeo Matsuzawa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The system defines a dedicated virtual link (DVL) for a specified packet flow. The router receives a datalink frame having a Media Access Control (MAC) address field. An identifier of the DVL allocated between the router and a previous-hop node is written in the frame using the MAC address field. The router refers to a correspondence relationship between the identifier of the DVL and information for designating a next-hop node, based on the identifier of the DVL included in the received frame, and transfers the frame to the next-hop node without network-layer processing.
Claims26
A node, comprising:
- first means for transferring a connection-less type frame received from one logical network to another logical network by assembling a packet from the received frame and by referring to a destination network-layer address in the packet;
- a memory for storing a correspondence relationship between an input dedicated virtual link identifier allocated dedicatedly to a specified flow and information for designating a next-hop node to which a frame of the specified flow is to be transferred;
- second means for transferring a connection-less type frame received from one logical network to another logical network by referring to the correspondence relationship stored in the memory based on the input dedicated virtual link identifier written in the received frame using a Media Access Control (MAC) address field and by writing the information for designating the next-hop node in the frame to be transferred;
- means for receiving a frame when the input dedicated virtual link identifier stored in the memory is written in the frame using a destination MAC address field,
- and wherein the second means includes
- means for referring to the correspondence relationship stored in the memory based on the input dedicated virtual link identifier written in the received frame using a destination MAC address field and writing the information designating the next-hop node in the frame to be transferred using the destination MAC address field;
- means for creating a frame and writing the inout dedicated virtual link identifier in the created frame using a source MAC address field;
- and
- means for transmitting the created frame with the input dedicated virtual link identifier to said one logical network so that a datalink switch in said one logical network obtains information for routing a frame based on a destination MAC address in the frame the destination MAC address corresponding to the input dedicated virtual link identifier.
6 more elements
A node, comprising:
- first means for transferring a connection-less type frame received from one logical network to another logical network by assembling a packet from the received frame and by referring to a destination network-layer address in the packet;
- a memory for storing a correspondence relationship between an input dedicated virtual link identifier allocated dedicatedly to a specified flow and information for designating a next-hop node to which a frame of the specified flow is to be transferred;
- second means for transferring a connection-less type frame received from one logical network to another logical network by referring to the correspondence relationship stored in the memory based on the input dedicated virtual link identifier written in the received frame using a Media Access Control (MAC) address field and by writing the information for designating the next-hop node in the frame to be transferred;
- means for receiving a frame when the input dedicated virtual link identifier stored in the memory is written in the frame using a destination MAC address fields
- and wherein the second means includes
- means for referring to the correspondence relationship stored in the memory based on the input dedicated virtual link identifier written in the received frame using a destination MAC address field and writing the information designating the next-hop node in the frame to be transferred using the destination MAC address field;
- means for creating a frame and writing the input dedicated virtual link identifier in the created frame using a source MAC address field;
- and
- means for transmitting the created frame with the input dedicated virtual link identifier through a virtual connection to a datalink switch in said one logical network so that the data link switch obtains information for transferring a received frame onto the virtual connection based on a destination MAC address in the frame, the destination MAC address corresponding to the input dedicated virtual link identifier.
6 more elements
A method of frame transfer, comprising the steps of:
- storing a correspondence relationship between an input dedicated virtual link identifier allocated in one logical network dedicatedly to a specified flow and information for designating a next-hop node in another logical network to which a frame of the specified flow is to be transferred;
- transferring a frame received from one logical network to another logical network by referring to the correspondence relationship stored in the memory based on the input dedicated virtual link identifier written in the received frame using a MAC address field and by writing the information for designating the next-hop node in the frame to be transferred;
- and
- transferring another frame received from one logical network to another logical network by assembling a packet from said another received frame and by referring to a destination network-layer address in the packet, when said another received frame does not contain the input dedicated virtual link identifier whose correspondence relationship is stored in the memory;
- means for receiving a frame when the input dedicated virtual link identifier stored in the memory is written in the frame using a destination MAC address field,
- and wherein the second means includes
- means for referring to the correspondence relationship stored in the memory based on the input dedicated virtual link identifier written in the received frame using a destination MAC address field and writing the information designating the next-hop node in the frame to be transferred using the destination MAC address field;
- means for creating a frame and writing the input dedicated virtual link identifier in the created frame using a source MAC address field;
- and
- means for transmitting the created frame with the input dedicated virtual link identifier lo said one logical network so that a datalink switch in said one logical network obtains information for routing a frame based on a destination MAC address in the frame, the destination MAC address corresponding to the input dedicated virtual link identifier.
7 more elements
A method of frame transfer, comprising the steps of:
- storing a correspondence relationship between an input dedicated virtual link identifier allocated in one logical network dedicatedly to a specified flow and information for designating a next-hop node in another logical network to which a frame of the specified flow is to be transferred;
- transferring a frame received from one logical network to another logical network by referring to the correspondence relationship stored in the memory based on the input dedicated virtual link identifier written in the received frame using a MAC address field and by writing the information for designating the next-hop node in the frame to be transferred;
- and
- transferring another frame received from one logical network to another logical network by assembling a packet from said another received frame and by referring to a destination network-layer address in the packet, when said another received frame does not contain the input dedicated virtual link identifier whose correspondence relationship is stored in the memory;
- means for receiving a frame when the input dedicated virtual link identifier stored in the memory is written in the frame using a destination MAC address field,
- and wherein the second means includes
- means for referring to the correspondence relationship stored in the memory based on the input dedicated virtual link identifier written in the received frame using a destination MAC address field and writing the information designating the next-hop node in the frame to be transferred using the destination MAC address field;
- means for creating a frame and writing the input dedicated virtual link identifier in the created frame using a source MAC address field;
- and
- means for transmitting the created frame with the input dedicated virtual link identifier through a virtual connection to a datalink switch in said one logical network so that the data link switch obtains information for transferring a received frame onto the virtual connection based on a destination MAC address in the frame, the destination MAC address corresponding to the input dedicated virtual link identifier.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.