Patent ID: 7969966
Filing Date: 2011-06-28
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of implementing a port mapping technique in a switch of a communications network, the switch comprising a plurality of ports including user ports and network ports, the user ports for connecting to user devices and the network ports for connecting to network devices, the method comprising: identifying a first portion of the ports as user ports; identifying a second portion of the ports as network ports; assigning a plurality of the user ports to a first session and a second session; assigning a plurality of the network ports to the first session, the second session; preventing user ports assigned to the first session from interacting with one another and network ports other than the network port assigned to the first session; preventing the network ports assigned to the second session from interacting with one another; and permitting the user ports assigned to the first session to interact with ports not assigned to the first session.