Patent ID: 9692723
Date: 2017-06-27
CPC Classifications: H04L

Claim:
1. A method comprising: creating, at a network switch, a management table comprising a plurality of entries, each of the plurality of entries respectively corresponding a plurality of network devices connected to the network switch, each of the plurality of entries respectively comprising a switch identifier for the network switch, a data link layer address corresponding to its respective one of the plurality of network devices, and a network layer address corresponding to its respective one of the plurality of network devices; sending, from the network switch, the management table to a server; receiving, at the server, a first data link layer address, the first data link layer address corresponding to a first one of the plurality of network devices; selecting, at the server, from the management table on the server, a first one of the plurality of entries corresponding to the received first data link layer address; selecting, at the server, from the selected first one of the plurality of entries, the switch identifier for the network switch; creating, at the server, a message, the message including the received first data link layer address; sending, from the server, the message to the network switch corresponding to the selected switch identifier; parsing, at the network switch, the message for the first data link layer address; selecting, at the network switch, from the management table on the network switch, the first one of the plurality of entries corresponding to the parsed first data link layer address corresponding to the first one of the plurality of network devices; selecting, at the network switch, a first network layer address from the selected first one of the plurality of entries; and sending, from the network switch, the message to the selected first network layer address.