Patent ID: 7339938
Filing Date: 2008-03-04
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for integrating a plurality of switches into a network device, comprising the steps of: designating a first plurality of ports of a first switch by a first numbering scheme; designating a second plurality of ports of a second switch by a second numbering scheme different than said first numbering scheme; coupling a first link port of said first plurality of ports to a second link port of said second plurality of ports; configuring said first and second switches to insert an inter-stack tag into a packet received at a first network port of said first plurality of ports, said inter-stack tag having a source address related to said first network port according to said first numbering scheme and to relay said packet to said second switch via said first and second link ports; and configuring said first and second switches to learn said source address, to remove said inter-stack tag from said packet, and to relay said packet to a destination port of said second plurality of second based on said inter-stack tag.