Patent ID: 8040890

Claim:
An apparatus associated with a network comprising network devices, the apparatus comprising: an input to receive a frame in a first frame format from a first node of the network, the first frame format including a first data link layer header and representing a first tier of data link layer addresses in the network such that the network has a first hierarchy achieved through tiered data link layer addressing, the first node of the network located in a first portion of the first hierarchy; a framing mechanism to encapsulate the frame in the first frame format with a second data link layer header to form a frame in a second frame format, the second frame format representing a second tier of data link layer addresses in the network such that the network has a second hierarchy achieved through the tiered data link layer addressing; a storage for storing an address table including information on forwarding one or more frames to a network device configured to forward the one or more frames to a second node of the network located in a second portion of the first hierarchy; a forwarding mechanism for forwarding the frame within the first hierarchy in the network based on information contained in the first frame format, and forwarding the frame within the second hierarchy in the network based on the information contained in the address table on forwarding the one or more frames to the network device capable of forwarding the one or more frames to the second node; and a processor for automatically updating the address table to include data link layer addresses for the first node and the second node.