Patent ID: 8274980

Claim:
A method of transmitting data across a link aggregation group comprising: receiving a packet sourced from a client having a MAC header and an IP header at an input port of a first upstream switch for transmission from said first upstream switch along a link aggregation and at least two down stream switches to a server, said MAC header having a Destination MAC address and a Source MAC address, and said IP header having a Source IP address and a Destination IP address; changing said destination MAC address from a down stream destination to another down stream destination; sending said packet via a first output port through a first link aggregation to a first down stream switch; using, using a random number generator, for changing said Source MAC address of the packet in the first down stream switch to a new address, said random number generator generating a pool of source MAC addresses; and selecting from said pool said new Source MAC address; sending said packet via a second output port through a second link aggregation to a second down stream switch having an address; and sending said packet from said second down stream switch to a server having a server address, wherein each said changed source MAC identifier being uniquely determined based an IP address indicated in a packet header to ensure that each packet of a communication flow having a same source and destination IP address are transmitted over a same output port.