System and method for switching traffic through a network
AssigneeLevel 3 Communications, LLC
InventorsJoseph Lawrence, Christopher J. Gibbings, Niclas Comstedt, Nassar El-Aawar
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to network communications. More specifically, embodiments relate to a system and method for switching data through a network. An embodiment of a switching system communicatively couples an external network to a wide area network. The system includes a plurality of edge switches communicatively coupled to the external network, a plurality of core switches communicatively coupled to the wide area network, and an interconnected matrix of switches communicatively coupled to the core switches and the edge switches and configured to forward communication traffic between the edge switches and the core switches.
Claims11
A switching system coupling an external network to a wide area network, the system comprising:
- a plurality of edge switches communicatively coupled to the external network;
- a plurality of core switches communicatively coupled to the wide area network;
- and
- an interconnected matrix of switches communicatively coupled to the core switches and the edge switches and configured to forward communication traffic between the edge switches and the core switches;
- and
- wherein the interconnected matrix of switches comprises multiple stages of switches;
- wherein each of the edge switches, core switches and interconnected matrix of switches is an independent switching element associated with a forwarding protocol configured to operate independently from one another;
- wherein each of the edge switches, core switches and interconnected matrix of switches develops a forwarding table by exchanging route information with the other switches;
- and
- wherein each of the interconnected matrix of switches is configured with its own broadcast local area network (LAN) facing the edge switches.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.