Patent ID: 7164658
Filing Date: 2007-01-16
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of processing a plurality of layer-3 datagrams in a first edge router, said first edge router being connected to a second edge router by a layer-2 network, said method comprising: provisioning in said first edge router a plurality of virtual circuits to said second edge router on said layer-2 network, said plurality of virtual circuits being associated with a layer-3 route; receiving in said first edge router said plurality of layer-3 datagrams; determining in said first edge router a subset of layer-3 datagrams, with each datagram in said subset of layer-3 datagrams having a corresponding layer-3 route equal to said layer-3 route, wherein said subset of layer-3 datagrams are comprised in said plurality of layer-3 datagrams; encapsulating each of said subset of layer-3 datagrams in a corresponding plurality of layer-2 packets, all of the plurality of layer-2 packets corresponding to some of said subset of layer-3 datagrams being encapsulated for sending on a first one of said plurality of virtual circuits and all of the plurality of layer-2 packets corresponding to some other of said subset of layer-3 datagrams being encapsulated for transmission on another one of said plurality of virtual circuits; and sending said plurality of layer-2 packets related to said subset of layer-3 datagrams on said layer-2 network according to said encapsulating, wherein said determining comprises using a destination address comprised in each of said layer-3 datagrams to determine said corresponding layer-3 route, wherein said determining further determines whether to transmit each of said subset of layer-3 datagrams in either said first one of said plurality of virtual circuits or said another one of said plurality of virtual circuits, and wherein said encapsulating comprises using a header which identifies the determined virtual circuit for each layer-2 packet of the corresponding layer-3 datagram.