Patent ID: 7822033
Filing Date: 2010-10-26
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. In a networking device capable of presenting different virtual routers to different end users, classes of service, or packets, a MAC address detector comprising: memory holding a first table having N entries, each entry holding a MAC address prefix; memory holding a second table having N entries, each entry holding a MAC address suffix and an index to an entry in the first table holding a corresponding MAC address prefix; combining logic for combining each prefix from the first table with a corresponding suffix from the second table to form a pool of N potential MAC addresses, wherein N is an integer of one or more; addressing logic for generating an (N+1)th potential MAC address of the networking device by combining a permanent or semi-permanent, unique identifier of the networking device with a virtual router identifier determined responsive to a packet received at the networking device, the (N+1)th potential MAC address in combination with the N potential MAC addresses forming a plurality of potential MAC addresses that are available for activation and assignment to the networking device; enable logic for activating and assigning, one or more of the plurality of potential MAC addresses the networking device responsive to the packet received at the networking device; comparison logic for indicating whether any of the one or more potential MAC addresses assigned to the networking device match a destination MAC address derived from the packet received; and detection logic for asserting a device address detection signal if any of the one or more potential MAC addresses assigned to the networking device match the destination MAC address derived from the packet received.