Patent ID: 9602435
Date: 2017-03-21
CPC Classifications: H04L

Claim:
1. A method in a network node operating as a controller for configuring a plurality of switches of a domain to efficiently forward broadcast packets, thereby reducing a number of broadcast packets forwarded within the domain, the method comprising: determining, by the controller based upon a use of a Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP), which of a plurality of active ports of the plurality of switches are a plurality of external ports that lead to network nodes outside the domain, wherein the plurality of external ports belong to a set of two or more switches of the plurality of switches, wherein the set of two or more switches includes fewer than all of the plurality of switches, wherein the determining comprises: calculating, by the controller, a set of one or more paths, wherein the set of paths includes a path between each pair of switches of the set of two or more switches; and configuring each of the set of switches to forward a broadcast data packet received at an external port of the switch to all other switches of the set of switches according to one or more of the set of paths, without flooding the broadcast data packet in the domain.