System and method for registering and un-registering membership in virtual local area networks

An apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of ports;
• a processor;
• and
• an application component associated with a selected port of the plurality of ports, and that is executable by the processor, the application component including
• an information declaration component configured to maintain VLAN registration state at the selected port for a plurality of VLANs,
• an encoder/decoder unit configured to encode the VLAN registration state for the plurality of VLANs into a plurality of encoded values that each represent the VLAN registration state of two or more VLANs of the plurality of VLANs, the encoder/decoder unit configured to produce the plurality of encoded values by application of an encoding algorithm to sets of two or more attribute events that each represent VLAN registration state of a respective VLAN, and
• a protocol data unit (PDU) message generator configured to load each of the plurality of encoded values within an attribute structure of a PDU message, such that the plurality of encoded values that encompass the plurality of VLANs are included within the attribute structure of the PDU message.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for determining a plurality of attribute events that each represent a virtual local area network (VLAN) registration state of a respective VLAN of a plurality of VLANs in a computer network;
• means for grouping the plurality of attribute events into a plurality of sets of two or more attribute events;
• means for computing, for each set of two or more attribute events, an encoded value for the set that encodes the two or more attribute events of the set into a single encoded value;
• means for loading each of the plurality of encoded values within an attribute structure of a protocol data unit (PDU) message, such that the plurality of encoded values that encompass the plurality of VLANs are included within the attribute structure of the PDU message;
• and
• means for transmitting the PDU message to one or more network devices within the computer network.

A method comprising:

• determining, by a network device in a computer network, a plurality of attribute events that each represent a state of a respective virtual local area network (VLAN);
• grouping the plurality of attribute events into one or more sets, each set including two or more attribute events;
• for each set, computing an encoded value for the set with an encoding algorithm that encodes the two or more attribute events of the set into an encoded value;
• loading one or ore encoded values within a protocol data unit (PDU) message;
• and
• transmitting the PDU message from the network device to one or more other network devices within the computer network.