Patent ID: 6058116
Filing Date: 2000-05-02
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method of trunking a plurality of mesh switches, the method comprising the steps of:providing a first mesh switch with a first mesh first switch element with an associated TCMP agent and a first mesh second switch element with an associated TCMP agent;providing a second mesh switch with a second mesh first switch element with an associated TCMP agent and a second mesh second switch element with an associated TCMP agent;connecting said first mesh first switch element with said second mesh first switch element by a link and MAC device;connecting said first mesh first switch element with said second mesh second switch element by another link and MAC device;connecting said first mesh second switch element with said second mesh first switch element by still another link and MAC device;connecting said first mesh second switch element with said second mesh second switch element by a further link and MAC device;each MAC device transmitting a Hello signal to MAC devices of the other mesh switch, said Hello signal including a mesh ID identifying a respective mesh switch of said MAC device;each said MAC device recording mesh ID's of said Hello signals received from MAC devices of the other mesh switch;said TCMP agent of each respective switch forming a trunk list including all MAC devices of respective switches for which Hello signals were received;each said TCMP agent dividing traffic received for one of said mesh switches among said MAC devices of said trunk list, said dividing being according to a trunking convention.