Patent ID: 6411625
Filing Date: 2002-06-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A communication network comprising:an ATM network; a LAN emulation server connected to the ATM network; a plurality of LAN segments, each having at least one LAN emulation client; and a bridge comprising a plurality of ports uniquely identified by port numbers and connected to the LAN segments and the ATM network, a memory having a plurality of entries, a plurality of buffer means for receiving a frame from said ports, said frame containing source and destination data-link-layer addresses, and control means for storing into one of the entries of said memory the source data-link-layer address of the frame and the port number of a first port of said plurality of ports from which the frame was received, making a search through the memory for an entry containing the destination data-link-layer address of the frame, forwarding the frame onto a second port of said plurality of ports identified by a port number contained in the entry if the entry is found in said memory, said second port being different from said first port, transmitting an address resolution request to the LAN emulation server via said ATM network to obtain a destination ATM address corresponding to said destination data-link-layer address if said entry is not found in said memory, transmitting a connection setup request to the ATM network to establish a virtual connection in the ATM network according to the destination ATM address, and forwarding the frame onto the port to which the ATM network is connected.