Patent ID: 6963575
Filing Date: 2005-11-08
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
1. An extended-area network, for data communications, comprising: a backbone network comprising: (a) a plurality of backbone data switches; (b) a first ring of optical fiber interconnecting the backbone data switches; and (c) at least one core data switch coupled to the first ring of optical fiber, for providing data communication to and from a wide area data network; and a plurality of access networks, each access network comprising: (1) a plurality of edge data switches; (2) a second ring of optical fiber interconnecting the edge data switches and at least one of the backbone data switches; and (3) one or more data links extending from each of the edge data switches, for coupling to end-user data equipment; a plurality of learning bridge modules, one of the learning bridge modules running in each of the edge data switches of a respective one of the access networks, for learning media access control addresses and port information corresponding to the media access control addresses for switching control purposes from frames communicated via the respective access network; a spanning tree protocol agent, running in the at least one backbone data switch interconnected to the second ring of optical fiber of the respective access network, for managing routing tables for the media access control addresses, wherein the edge data switches of the respective one of the access networks do not run spanning tree protocol; and an aging timer with a predetermined value, included in each of the learning bridge modules, for causing a respective edge data switch to discard learned port information corresponding to an individual media access control address if no further frame containing the individual media access control address is received before the aging timer reaches the predetermined value, wherein the predetermined value is set to a relatively short time period in each of the edge data switches of the respective access network.