Patent ID: 7583616
Filing Date: 2009-09-01
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A network unit in a telecommunication network for forwarding a Layer 2 packet being received at a receiving interface of a plurality of interfaces of said network unit, a payload of said Layer 2 packet comprising a Layer 3 packet, wherein said network unit comprises: an extractor which extracts from said payload of said Layer 2 packet a destination Layer 3 address of said Layer 3 packet; and a forwarding engine, which, for in response to said extraction, with said destination Layer 3 address retrieves from a forwarding database an associated interface; said forwarding database, comprising at least one association between one of said plurality of interfaces and at least one Layer 3 address, for upon reception of said destination Layer 3 address having a full match with one of said Layer 3 addresses, providing the associated interface of said plurality of interfaces being associated to said one Layer 3 address; thereby enabling said network unit to forward said Layer 2 packet to said associated interface, wherein the forwarding engine, upon failing of the full match with one of said Layer 3 addresses of the forwarding database, replicates and forwards the Layer 2 packet to a predetermined plurality of the plurality of interfaces.