Patent ID: 8238245
Filing Date: 2012-08-07
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of planning routes and allocating route identifiers in a managed frame-forwarding network, the network comprising a set of nodes interconnected by links, with each node being arranged to forward data frames according to a combination of a route identifier and a network address carried by a received data frame and forwarding instructions stored at the node, the method comprising: identifying a sub-set of the nodes which are core nodes of the network, the remaining nodes being outlying nodes; building a spanning tree off each of the identified core nodes, with the spanning tree stopping one link short of any other core node, the spanning tree having a root and defining a loop-free path between the core node at the root of the spanning tree and a set of outlying nodes; and, planning connections between roots of the spanning trees and allocating a different route identifier to each planned connection between a pair of spanning trees.