Patent ID: 6041166
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: G06F,H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
For a network including a set of local area net-work (LAN) segments, a backbone path, and a plurality of edge devices interconnecting the set of LAN segments with the backbone path, and in which nodes on respective LAN segments in the set are members of logical networks defined in layer three or higher, a method for managing traffic in the network, comprising:detecting in response to a medium access control MAC address of a packet received at an edge device, a multi-destination packet originating from a particular LAN segment;determining the logical network of the multi-destination packet;translating the multi-destination packet to a plurality of tunneled messages carrying information from the multi-destination packet;forwarding across the backbone path the plurality of tunneled messages to edge devices;supplying the multi-destination packet in response to the tunneled messages from the edge devices receiving the directed messages to LAN segments through which nodes authorized to receive multi-destination packets from members of the determined logical network are accessible, except for the particular LAN segment on which the multi-destination packet originated; andautomatically learning members of logical networks in response to multi-destination packets;wherein the backbone path includes a connectionless network.