Link aggregation
AssigneeMosaid Technologies Incorporated
InventorRichard M. Wyatt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a switch with multiple physical links to a destination, data is forwarded to the destination by distributing received data across the physical links. A flow hash is selected for the received data's data flow dependent on a destination address and source address included in the received data. The flow hash selects one of the physical links to the destination for a data flow but potentially a different physical link for a different data flow, thereby forwarding the received data by distributing the received data across the physical links while maintaining frame ordering within a data flow.
Claims21
A switch comprising:
- a logical link connecting a destination to the switch, the logical link comprising a plurality of physical links connected to a plurality of ports in the switch;
- a flow hash selector which selects a flow hash for a received data packet dependent on the result of a function performed on a destination address and a source address included in the received data packet, the destination address and source address selected dependent on the contents of a type field in a data link header;
- and
- a trunk port selector which selects one of the plurality of physical links on which to forward the received data dependent on the flow hash, data for a same flow being forwarded to the destination in the order received by the switch.
A switch comprising:
- means for connecting a destination to the switch through a plurality of physical links connected to a plurality of ports in the switch;
- means for selecting a flow hash for a received data packet dependent on the result of a function performed on a destination address and a source address included in the received data packet, the destination address and source address selected dependent on the contents of a type field in a data link header;
- and
- means for selecting one of the plurality of physical links on which to forward the received data dependent on the flow hash, data for a same flow being forwarded to the destination in the order received by the switch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.