Back to results
US 7,606,229 B1Granted
Generic bridge packet tunneling
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsMarco E. Foschiano, Sacidhar C. Nambakkam, Sushilkumar K. Goyal, Alagu Annaamalai, Shyamasundar S. Kaluve, Prabhu Seshachellam
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for processing a packet is disclosed. The method includes identifying the packet as a generic bridge packet tunneling (GBPT) packet, and performing GBPT processing on the packet at a network node, if the packet is a GBPT packet.
Claims86
A method for processing a packet comprising:
- identifying said packet as a generic bridge packet tunneling (GBPT) packet, using a forwarding engine, wherein said identifying comprises filtering said packet to determine whether said packet is said GBPT packet by comparing a portion of a header of said packet to a filter value stored in a match register of said forwarding engine;
- and said identifying uses a forwarding table of said forwarding engine to perform said identifying;
- and
- if said packet is identified as said GBPT packet,
- sending said packet to a protocol queue,
- sending said packet from said protocol queue to a matching queue,
- sending said packet from said matching queue to a protocol tunneling processing module, and
- causing said protocol tunneling processing module to perform GBPT processing on said packet, using a processor coupled to said forwarding engine.
5 more elements
A network element comprising:
- a forwarding engine, wherein
- said forwarding engine stores a forwarding table, and
- said forwarding engine is configured to identify a packet as a generic bridge packet tunneling (GBPT) packet using said forwarding table;
- a processor, wherein
- said forwarding engine is communicatively coupled to said processor,
- said forwarding engine is configured to send said GBPT packet to said processor,
- said processor is configured to support a protocol tunneling processing module, and
- said processor is configured to process said packet, if said packet is identified as said GBPT packet;
- and
- a Bridged Protocol Data Unit (BPDU) processing architecture, comprising:
- a protocol tunneling processing module,
- a protocol queue, communicatively coupled to said protocol tunneling processing module, and
- a matching queue, communicatively coupled between said protocol queue and said protocol tunneling processing module.
10 more elements
A network element comprising:
- a network interface;
- a processor, coupled to said network interface;
- computer readable storage medium coupled to said processor;
- and
- computer code, encoded in said computer readable storage medium, for processing a packet and configured to cause said processor to:
- identify said packet as a generic bridge packet tunneling (GBPT) packet, wherein
- said identifying comprises filtering said packet to determine whether said packet is said GBPT packet by comparing a portion of a header of said packet to a filter value stored in a match register, and
- said identifying uses a forwarding table to perform said identifying;
- and
- if said packet is identified as said GBPT packet,
- send said packet to a protocol queue,
- send said packet from said protocol queue to a matching queue,
- send said packet from said matching queue to a protocol tunneling processing module, and
- cause said protocol tunneling processing module to perform GBPT processing on said packet.
11 more elements
A computer readable storage medium having encoded thereon a computer program product comprising computer executable instructions for processing a packet, comprising:
- a first set of instructions for identifying said packet as a generic bridge packet tunneling (GBPT) packet, wherein
- said identifying comprises filtering said packet to determine whether said packet
- is said GBPT packet by comparing a portion of a header of said packet to a filter value stored in a match register, and
- said identifying uses a forwarding table to perform said identifying;
- and
- a second set of instructions for, if said packet is identified as said GBPT packet,
- sending said packet to a protocol queue,
- sending said packet from said protocol queue to a matching queue,
- sending said packet from said matching queue to a protocol tunneling processing module, and
- causing said protocol tunneling processing module to perform GBPT processing on said packet.
7 more elements
An apparatus for processing a packet comprising:
- means for identifying said packet as a generic bridge packet tunneling (GBPT) packet, wherein
- said means for identifying comprises
- a forwarding table,
- a match register,
- means for filtering said packet to determine whether said packet is said GBPT packet, said means for filtering comprising means for comparing a portion of a header of said packet to a filter value stored in said match register, and
- said identifying uses said forwarding table to identify said packet as said GBPT packet;
- a protocol queue;
- means for sending said packet to said protocol queue;
- a matching queue, coupled to said protocol queue;
- means for sending said packet from said protocol queue to said matching queue;
- a protocol tunneling processing module;
- means for sending said packet from said matching queue to said protocol tunneling processing module;
- and
- means for causing said protocol tunneling processing module to perform GBPT processing on said packet.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.