Patent ID: 7529243

Claim:
A packet-forwarding apparatus for use in a network comprising network devices, the apparatus comprising, a storage for storing an address table having a number of entries comprising data link layer addresses for the network devices; an input to receive a first frame in a first frame format, the first frame format comprising a first data link layer header, wherein the first frame format represents a first tier of data link layer addresses in the network such that the network has a hierarchy achieved through tiered data link layer addressing; a framing mechanism to encapsulate the first frame with a second data link layer header to form a second frame format, the second frame format representing a second tier of data link layer addresses in the network hierarchy; an output to forward the frame in the second frame format toward a destination electronic device; and a processor for updating the address table, wherein the number of entries in the address table increases linearly for each network device with a data link layer address that is associated with the second tier of the network hierarchy added to the network.