Patent ID: 7929545
Filing Date: 2011-04-19
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of managing MAC address tables in a system having interface ports that interconnect networks, wherein the system comprises a first series of interface port cards, a second series of interface port cards, and an interconnection unit that interconnects both the first and second series of cards and interconnects the cards of the first series, and wherein each of the first series of cards maintain respective MAC address tables for addressing traffic between the interface ports, each table entry having an age field defining the age of the entry, the method comprising: verifying whether the value of an age field in an entry in a MAC table maintained by a first card in the first series has reached a predetermined maximum value; if the age value has reached the maximum age value, correlating information in the MAC table entry with entries in a MAC table maintained by another card in the first series by sending a synchronization request from a control function associated with the MAC table maintained by the first card to a control function associated with the MAC table entry maintained by the other card in the first series; receiving a response from the control function associated with the MAC table entry maintained by the other card in the first series, the response including either an age value or a delete command, depending on the age value in the corresponding MAC table entry maintained by the other card in the first series; and upgrading the MAC table entry maintained by the first card based on the received response.