Patent ID: 8705532
Filing Date: 2014-04-22
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for selective layer 2 port blocking based on a layer 2 source address, the method comprising: at a port in a layer 2 switching device: (a) storing different I/O port block lists for different layer 2 source addresses within a common VLAN, wherein at least one of the I/O port block lists specifies plural member ports to block within the VLAN based on a frame's layer 2 source address; (b) receiving a layer 2 frame; (c) identifying, during a layer 2 learning phase lookup and based on a layer 2 source address in the layer 2 frame, an input/output (I/O) port block list from the different I/O port block lists, wherein identifying the I/O port block list includes matching the frame's layer 2 source address with a layer 2 address associated with the I/O port block list; (d) performing a forwarding phase lookup to identify a set of ports to which the frame should be forwarded; and (e) blocking forwarding of the layer 2 frame to ports in the set that are also in the I/O port block list.