Patent ID: 7356628

Claim:
A network device that operates in a network whose architecture permits only a single architectural address to be specified for the network device, the architecture further specifying configuration information including user-defined configuration information for the network device and the network device being characterized by memory containing: first user-defined configuration information that indicates whether the network device has only the architectural address; and second user-defined configuration information specifying a set of additional addresses to which the network device responds, the network device responding to an address received in the device when the first user-defined configuration information indicates that the device has only the architectural address by comparing the received address to the architectural address and if the received address matches the architectural address, further responding thereto and responding to the received address when the first user-defined configuration information indicates that the device has the set of additional addresses by comparing the received address to the architectural address and if the received address matches the architectural address, further responding thereto and otherwise comparing the received address to the additional addresses in the set and if the received address matches one of the additional addresses, further responding thereto.