Multi-point link aggregation spoofing
Assignee3Com Corporation
InventorsJoris Johannes Maria Wils, James Scott Hiscock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system with at least one, and preferably at least two, end devices that operates according to a point-to-point protocol such as the IEEE standard 802.3ad. The two end devices communicate with each other through a trunk cluster formed from a plurality of cluster devices. Each of the cluster devices has a synchronization means for configuring all of the cluster devices with a same logical identity to communicate with the end device according to the point-to-point protocol as if all of the cluster devices were a single device.
Claims15
An aggregate link system, comprising:
- a plurality of end stations operating using a point-to-point protocol;
- a plurality of cluster devices forming a cluster, more than one of said cluster devices being in communication with more than one of said end stations, said cluster devices identifying connected said end stations;
- an intra-cluster interconnect (ICI) providing communication between said cluster devices, said cluster devices share said identity of said connected end stations and commonly connected said end stations;
- synchronization means (SM) in each of said cluster devices for configuring each said cluster device in communication with said commonly connected end stations to use a same logical identity for said point-to-point protocol.
An aggregate link system, comprising:
- a cluster of cooperating cluster member devices;
- an end device;
- trunk links connecting each end device to each device in said cluster;
- a coordinating link between said devices in said cluster of cooperating devices, said coordinating link being defined either by said end device and said trunk links or an intra cluster interconnect;
- each of said cooperating cluster member devices having a synchronization means for establishing a logical point to point connection across multiple Ethernet links, one of said synchronization means being a master synchronization means provided at one of said cooperating cluster member devices such that the multi-point communication of the cluster behaves as a single point device.
An aggregate link system, comprising:
- a cluster of cooperating cluster member devices;
- an end device;
- trunk links connecting each end device to each device in said cluster;
- a coordinating link between said devices in said cluster of cooperating devices, said coordinating link being defined either by said end device and said trunk links or an intra cluster interconnect;
- each of said cooperating cluster member devices having a synchronization means for establishing a logical point to point connection across multiple Ethernet links and coordinating such that the multi-point communication of the cluster behaves as a single point device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.