Patent ID: 6337863
Filing Date: 2002-01-08
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
A service for providing seamless communication over an ATM network, comprising:n devices at the edge of said ATM network, where n is an integer greater than two, said devices interconnecting stations behind said devices to said ATM network; means internal to each of the n devices for storing a circuit identifier of a virtual circuit for forwarding broadcast multicast, and unknown unicast messages to other nâˆ’1 devices; means internal to a first of said devices for receiving a data message originated by a station behind said first device, said data message containing a source address of said originating station and a destination address of a station behind a second of said devices; means internal to said first device for resolving said destination address to a virtual circuit over said ATM network to said second device; and means internal to said first device for forwarding said data message along said virtual circuit.