Patent ID: 8149836
Filing Date: 2012-04-03
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of relaying Ethernet frames over an Ethernet network, the method comprising: building, for an Ethernet network, a classless hierarchical address scheme describing a multipoint forwarding tree, said address scheme permitting pruning according to said forwarding tree; assigning an identification tag that includes an address from said hierarchical address scheme to each group of frames forwarded together, to identify said group for forwarding purposes, wherein said address is at least one address selected from the group consisting of a classless hierarchical MAC address and Hierarchical VLAN identifier (HVID); adding one of said identification tags to each Ethernet frame; identifying said address in a filtering database of an Ethernet frame; selecting at least one forwarding rule from said filtering database for said identification tag by applying at least one subnet mask by detecting a forwarding rule that is a best match from a plurality of forwarding rules obtained for said address; and relaying said Ethernet frame through the network according to said at least one forwarding rule.