Method and apparatus for sorting and transmitting data packets

A method for sorting and transmitting a data packet in a LAN formed by connecting a switch fabric and a plurality of port controllers, each of the port controllers comprising a plurality of ports for connecting a plurality of terminal equipment, the port controllers being connected to the switch fabric via an intercom channel, each of the port controllers being operative to store a plurality of addresses comprising the address data of the port numbers of the port controllers connected to the terminal equipment and the network card addresses of the terminal equipment, a data packet to be transmitted from a first terminal equipment to a second terminal equipment comprising a destination address representing the network card identifier of the second terminal equipment, a source address representing the network card identifier of the first terminal equipment and data to be transmitted, comprising the steps of:

• (a) comparing a data packet source address with a plurality of stored addresses in a port controller connected to the first terminal equipment;
• (b) responsive to said comparing step, adding the source address representing the network card identifier of the first terminal equipment and the port number of the port controller connected to the first terminal equipment;
• (c) transmitting a new address learning frame, formed by assembling the source address representing the network card identifier of the first terminal equipment and the port number of the port controller connected to the first terminal equipment, via the intercom channel to other port controllers;
• and
• (d) storing the transmitted source address in said other port controllers as said plurality of stored addresses, wherein the transmission priority of the new address learning frame is higher than that of the data to be transmitted.

An apparatus for sorting and transmitting a data packet in a LAN formed by connecting a switch fabric and a plurality of port controllers, each of the port controllers comprising a plurality of ports for connecting a plurality of terminal equipment, the port controllers being connected to the switch fabric via an intercom channel, each of the port controllers comprising an address table for storing a reference list consisting of the address data of the port numbers of the port controllers connected to the terminal equipment and the network card addresses of the terminal equipment, a data packet to be transmitted from a first terminal equipment to a second terminal equipment comprising a destination address representing the network card identifier of the second terminal equipment, a source address representing the network card identifier of the first terminal equipment and data to be transmitted, comprising the steps of:

• (a) means for searching and comparing the source address of the data packet with the reference list stored in the address table of the port controller connected to the first terminal equipment;
• (b) means for refreshing the content of the reference list by adding the address data consisting of the source address representing the network card identifier of the first terminal equipment and the port number of the port controller connected to the first terminal equipment when the source address of the data packet can not be located in the address table;
• and
• (c) means for transmitting a new address learning frame, formed by assembling the source address representing the network card identifier of the first terminal equipment and the port number of the port controller connected to the first terminal equipment, via an intercom channel to the address tables of other port controllers for refreshing the contents of the reference
• wherein the transmission priority of the new address learning frame is higher than that of the data to be transmitted.

A LAN for communication among a plurality of terminal equipment comprising:

• a switch fabric;
• an intercom channel;
• a plurality of port controllers, each of the port controllers being connected to the intercom channel and comprising a plurality of ports for connecting a plurality of terminal equipment, the port controllers being connected to the switch fabric via said intercom channel, each of the port controllers being operative to store the address data of the port numbers of the port controllers connected to the terminal equipment and the network card addresses of the terminal equipment, a data packet to be transmitted from a first terminal equipment to a second terminal equipment comprising a destination address representing the network card identifier of the second terminal equipment, a source address represented the network card identifier of the first terminal equipment and data to be transmitted;
• and
• an apparatus for sorting and transmitting a data packet comprising:
• (a) means for comparing the source address of the data packet with the stored addresses in the port controller connected to the first terminal equipment;
• (b) means for adding new address data, comprising a source address representing a network card identifier of the first terminal equipment and the port number of the port controller connected to the first terminal equipment, when the source address of the data packet is not a stored address;
• (c) means for transmitting a new address learning frame, formed by assembling the source address representing the network card identifier of the first terminal equipment and the port number of the port controller connected to the first terminal equipment, via said intercom channel, to other port controllers;
• and
• (d) means for adding said new address to said stored addresses in a port controller
• wherein the transmission priority of the new address learning frame is higher than that of the data to be transmitted.