Patent ID: 9485167
Filing Date: 2016-11-01
CPC Classification: H04L

Claim Text:
1. A communication device comprising: a storage device storing a media access control learning table that stores therein learned entries each storing therein a correspondence relationship among a port number for identifying a port, an address of a terminal connected via the port, a group identifier for identifying a terminal group to which the terminal belongs, the terminal group being one of a plurality of terminal groups, and an aging value indicating a period of time elapsed since each learned entry is stored in the media access control learning table, and storing a learning management table that stores therein a current learning number, a minimum learning number, a maximum learning number, a predetermined priority in association with each group identifier, and an aging timer value indicating a retention period of a correspondence relationship in association with each group identifier, the current learning number indicating a number of the learned entries currently stored in the first storage unit, the minimum learning number indicating a minimum value of the current learning number, the maximum learning number indicating a maximum value of the current learning number; a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute instructions in the memory to perform: determine, when a frame is received, whether a total of current learning numbers stored in the learning management table has reached a total of maximum learning numbers, identify in the learning management table, when it is determined that the total of current learning numbers has reached the total of maximum learning numbers, a first group identifier associated with a lower priority than a priority associated with a reception group identifier contained in the frame, the first group identifier being associated with a first current learning number not less than a first minimum learning number associated with the first group identifier, perform, in the media access control learning table, first replacement of a first correspondence relationship including the first group identifier with a reception correspondence relationship among a port number of a port at which the frame has been received, a source address contained in the frame, and the reception group identifier, determine whether a first aging value stored in a first learned entry has reached a first aging timer value stored in the learning management table in association with a second group identifier included in the first learned entry, delete, when it is determined that the first aging value has reached the first aging timer value, the first learned entry from the media access control learning table and determine whether a second current learning number associated with the second group identifier in the learning management table is less than a second minimum learning number associated with the second group identifier, and extend the first aging timer value when it is determined that the second current learning number is less than the second minimum learning number.