Virtual network architecture

In a data communicating network that includes at least one connective device for communicating data among transmitting/receiving nodes, the connective device having a number of ports coupled to corresponding ones of the transmitting/receiving nodes to receive data from, and transmit data to, such nodes, a method of transmitting data received at one of the number of ports from selected ones of the number of ports that includes the steps of:

• providing each of the number of ports with a virtual network input identification and a virtual network output identification;
• receiving data at the one of the number of ports;
• communicating the received data and the virtual network input identification of the one of the number of ports to each of the number of ports;
• at each of the number of ports, comparing the communicated virtual network input identification with the virtual network output identification of each of the ports to transmit the data from such of the number of ports having an virtual network output identification matching the communicated virtual network input identification.

A connective device for communicating data among a number of transmitting/receiving nodes in a data communicating network, the connective device including:

• a plurality of ports coupled to respective ones of the number transmitting/receiving nodes, each of the plurality of ports being communicatively coupled to each of the other of the plurality of ports for communicating data therebetween;
• each of the plurality of ports including,
• a storage element for storing a virtual network input identification and an output identification,
• a compare component coupled to receive the virtual network input identification of one of the plurality of ports at which data is received and to assert a selection signal if at least a first portion of the virtual network input identification of the one of the plurality of ports matches a corresponding portion of the virtual network output identification of such ports, and
• a selection component coupled to the compare component to transmit the data from such port when the selection signal is asserted.

A connective device for communicating data among a number of transmitting/receiving nodes in a data communicating network, the connective device including:

• a plurality of ports coupled to respective ones of the number transmitting/receiving nodes, each of the plurality of ports being communicatively coupled to each of the other of the plurality of ports for communicating data therebetween;
• each of the plurality of ports including
• a storage element for storing a virtual network input identification having first and second multi-bit fields and a virtual network output identification having third and fourth multi-bit fields,
• a compare element operating to receive and compare the first multi-bit field of the virtual network input identification of a one of the plurality of ports at which data is received with the third multi-bit field of the virtual network output identification of such port, and
• a selection element coupled to the compare component to select for transmission the data from the one of the plurality of ports having a first multi-bit field matching the third multi-bit field of such port.