Patent ID: 6073176
Filing Date: 2000-06-06
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method for conducting a multilink session between multiple systems connected together on a network, comprising:identifying establishment of a first communication link on a first one of the multiple systems;identifying establishment of a second communication link on a second one of the multiple systems, the first and second communication link establishing a multilink bundle;initiating a bidding session for obtaining bid values associated with each one of the multiple systems, the bid values each identifying a priority of the associated one of the multiple systems for being a bundle master that processes all links in the multilink bundle;comparing the bid values associated with each one of the multiple systems;establishing one of the multiple systems having a highest priority bid value as the bundle master; andinitiating the first and second one of the multiple systems to forward to the assigned bundle master any of the first communication link and second communication link not terminating on the bundle master after the first communication link is terminated on the first one of the multiple systems and the second communication link is terminated on the second one of the multiple systems, the bundle master then conducting the multilink session by combining packets from the first communication link and with the second communication link.