Patent ID: 6016310
Filing Date: 2000-01-18
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A network device comprising:a plurality of ports including a first port configured to receive a packet, at least the first port configured to be associated with at wherein the trunk is a logical channel between the network device and another network device that includes two or more physical network links;a memory for storing a forwarding database, the forwarding database including a plurality of entries containing therein forwarding information for a subset of addresses; anda learning circuit coupled to the first port and the memory configured to modify the forwarding database to reflect an association between the first port and a first address contained within the packet, the learning circuit updating the forwarding database based upon a trunk designator corresponding to the trunk if the trunk is of a first type, the learning circuit updating the forwarding database based upon a port designator corresponding to the first port if the trunk is of a second type. wherein ports associated with trunks of the first type each have the same media access control (MAC) address, and ports associated with trunks of the second type each have a different MAC address.