Patent ID: 6512742
Filing Date: 2003-01-28
Classification: H04L,Y02D

Abstract:
A method of balanced transmission of data across a link aggregation of k links in a network, where k is not a power of 2, where data is specified by frames each having a source address and a destination address, said method comprising the steps of:determining N bits of said source address and N bits of said destination address to be XORed together where N is an integer greater than 2; creating an index table with 2N entry positions where each of said entry positions is assigned an index number between 0 and 2Nâˆ’1; filling said entry positions of said index table with an identification of one link of said k links in each said entry position by repetitively entering an identification of a sequential one of said k links until all of said entry positions are filled; grouping frames of said data with identical source addresses and destination addresses as other frames into a flow; XORing N bits of said source address together with N bits of said destination address for each said flow to obtain an N bit index number for each said flow; accessing said index table with said N bit index number to identify a particular link within said index table; and transmitting said flow across said particular link of said link aggregation.