Patent ID: 7599366

Claim:
An access node ( 1 ) configured to transmit Ethernet data frames between a plurality of subscribers ( 2 ) and an aggregation network ( 3 ), wherein said access node ( 1 ) comprises a memory ( 4 ) configured to store classification rules applicable to said data frames, said access node further comprises a classification agent ( 5 ) coupled to said memory and configured to extract source information from an incoming data frame, and to apply said classification rules onto said extracted source information in order to infer flow awareness information of an outgoing frame corresponding to said incoming data frame; and said classification agent ( 5 ) is further configured to calculate frame signatures of said incoming data frames from said extracted source information, wherein said access node ( 1 ) further comprises a second memory ( 6 ) coupled to said classification agent and configured to store flow rules applicable to said signatures, and wherein said classification agent is configured to apply said flow rules onto said frame signatures in order to infer said flow awareness information of an outgoing frame corresponding to said incoming data frames.