Patent ID: 11968176
Assignee: nan
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  G | IPC G  H

Claim 0:
1. A method of implementing multiple virtual local area networks (VLANs) in a network switching device having a plurality of hardware ports, the method comprising:
assigning a plurality of hardware ports to a plurality of VLANs, wherein hardware ports are assigned to at least two of the plurality of VLANs, and none of the plurality of hardware ports are concurrently assigned to multiple VLANs of the plurality of VLANs;
loading rules for forwarding packets between the plurality of hardware ports into a data plane for the network switching device, wherein the rules direct the data plane to forward only between hardware ports in a common domain of the plurality of domains; and
assuring that a packet received at any hardware port assigned to a first VLAN of the plurality of VLANs is not sent in legible form from any hardware port assigned to a second VLAN of the plurality of VLANs if an error causes the data plane to forward or request forwarding the packet to any hardware port assigned to a second VLAN of the plurality of VLANs.