Back to results
US 7,889,733 B2Granted
Intelligent adjunct network device
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsMichael R. Smith, Douglas Alan Gourlay, Jeffrey Y M Wang, Ali Golshan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An adjunct network device includes several ports, an uplink interface, and an adjunct forwarding engine coupled to the ports and the uplink interface. A first port is configured to receive a packet, which includes a destination address. The adjunct forwarding engine is configured to send the packet to the uplink interface if the destination address is not associated with any of the ports. The packet is sent to one of the ports if the destination address is associated with the one of the ports.
Claims22
A method comprising:
- receiving first forwarding information via an uplink interface;
- storing the first forwarding information in a local forwarding table;
- receiving a packet via a first port of a plurality of ports, wherein
- the packet comprises a destination address, and
- the uplink interface is different from the plurality of ports;
- determining whether the destination address corresponds to any of the plurality of ports, wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on the local forwarding table;
- in response to determining the destination address does not correspond to any of the plurality of ports, based at least in part on the local forwarding table, sending the packet and additional information associated with the packet to the uplink interface;
- receiving second forwarding information via the uplink interface, wherein the second forwarding information comprises results of a table lookup;
- comparing the second forwarding information with forwarding information stored in the local forwarding table;
- and
- sending an error notification to the uplink interface in response to detecting a conflict between the forwarding information stored in the local forwarding table and the second forwarding information.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving first forwarding information via an uplink interface wherein the uplink interface is coupled to a virtual link bundle;
- storing the first forwarding information in a local forwarding table;
- receiving a packet via a first port of a plurality of ports, wherein
- the packet comprises a destination address, and
- the uplink interface is different from the plurality of ports;
- determining whether the destination address corresponds to any of the plurality of ports, wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on the local forwarding table;
- in response to determining the destination address does not correspond to any of the plurality of ports, based at least in part on the local forwarding table, sending the packet and additional information associated with the packet to the uplink interface, wherein
- the additional information identifies the first port;
- receiving the packet sent via the uplink interface at a virtual network device;
- and
- preventing the packet from subsequently being sent from the virtual network device via the virtual link bundle.
8 more elements
A system comprising:
- a plurality of ports, wherein a first port of the ports is configured to receive a packet comprising a destination address;
- an uplink interface, wherein
- the uplink interface is different from the plurality of ports;
- and
- an adjunct forwarding engine coupled to the ports and the uplink interface, wherein the adjunct forwarding engine is configured to:
- receive first forwarding information via the uplink interface;
- store the first forwarding information in a local forwarding table;
- determine whether the destination address is associated with any of the plurality of ports, wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on the local forwarding table;
- send the packet and additional information associated with the packet to the uplink interface in response to determining the destination address is not associated with any of the ports;
- receive second forwarding information via the uplink interface, wherein the second forwarding information comprises results of a table lookup;
- compare the second forwarding information with forwarding information stored in the local forwarding table;
- and
- send an error notification to the uplink interface in response to detecting a conflict between the forwarding information stored in the local forwarding table and the second forwarding information.
10 more elements
A system comprising:
- a plurality of ports, wherein a first port of the ports is configured to receive a packet comprising a destination address;
- an uplink interface, wherein
- the uplink interface is different from the plurality of ports;
- an adjunct forwarding engine coupled to the ports and the uplink interface, wherein the adjunct forwarding engine is configured to:
- receive first forwarding information via the uplink interface;
- store the first forwarding information in a local forwarding table;
- determine whether the destination address is associated with any of the plurality of ports, wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on the local forwarding table;
- and
- send the packet and additional information associated with the packet to the uplink interface in response to determining the destination address is not associated with any of the ports
- an uplink coupled to the uplink interface, wherein the uplink is comprised in a virtual link bundle;
- and
- a virtual network device coupled to the virtual link bundle, wherein
- the virtual network device is configured to receive the packet via the uplink;
- and
- the virtual network device is configured to prevent the packet from subsequently being sent via the virtual link bundle.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.