Patent ID: 8897303

Claim:
A method in a network component, comprising: receiving a plurality of Layer 3 addresses and a plurality of Layer 2 addresses for a plurality of hosts in a corresponding network district in a bridged Layer 2 network; mapping the Layer 3 addresses of the plurality of hosts to a Layer 2 address of the network component; receiving a second plurality of Layer 2 addresses for a plurality of district boundary bridges (DBBs) in the bridged Layer 2 network and a second plurality of Layer 3 addresses of a second plurality of hosts associated with the Layer 2 addresses of the DBBs; mapping the Layer 3 addresses of the second hosts to the Layer 2 address of the corresponding DBBs; receiving an address resolution protocol (ARP) request that references one of the Layer 3 addresses for one of the hosts; sending an ARP response that comprises the Layer 2 address of the network component and the Layer 3 address of the host but not the Layer 2 address of the host in response to the ARP request; and not maintaining one or more Layer 3 address and one or more Layer 2 addresses for one or more hosts external of the plurality of hosts, wherein each DBB is configured to be aware of a plurality of Layer 2 addresses of the DBBs, and not aware of Layer 3 addresses of end-stations within network districts that are external of the network districts associated with the DBB.