Patent ID: 7002924

Claim:
A method for automatically processing subnet conflicts in a network defined by plural routers, each having interfaces to which segments are connected to support networked communication, comprising: identifying all segments connected the interfaces of said routers by assigning a unique interface identifier (UID) value to each segment; defining a zero-configuration routing information protocol (ZRIP) data structure that includes a UID structure for storing a UID value; establishing a routing table associated with each of said routers, the routing tables being based on said ZRIP protocol and defining routing table entry (RTE) records for storing the subnet mappings of the associated router; further defining each of said RTE records to include said UID structure as a data field associated with each of said subnet mappings; employing each router to assign subnet mappings to each segment connected to its interfaces and to populate the RTE records of its routing table with said subnet mappings in association with the UID values of each connected segment; exchanging RTE records between said routers and employing each router to compare RTE records received during said exchange with the RTE records in its routing table to detect if two or more subnet mappings are the same, whereupon a subnet conflict is declared.