Patent ID: 7908350

Claim:
Method for operating virtual networks, comprising: providing a first virtual network comprising a first set of network ports assigned to a first virtualization tag (T 1 ) and a second virtual network comprising a second set of network ports assigned to a second virtualization tag (T 2 ), the first and the second virtual networks having compatible address ranges and being adapted to only pass data packets within them, providing a first network node (N 1 ) having a source address (SA) in the first virtual network and being operationally connected to a first port (P 1 ) assigned to the first virtual network by means of the first virtualization tag (T 1 ), monitoring the first network node (N 1 ) in order to detect a predetermined condition, and on detection of the predetermined condition, reassigning the first port (P 1 ) to the second virtual network by means of assigning the second virtualization tag (T 2 ) to the first port (P 1 ), such that no data packet can be passed from the first network node (N 1 ) to a second network node (N 2 ) connected to a second port (P 2 ) assigned to the first virtual network by means of the first virtualization tag (T 1 ) directly and keeping of the source address (SA) for the first network node (N 1 ) in the second virtual network.