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 Title: |
US6172981:
Method and system for distributing network routing functions to local area network stations
[ Derwent Title ]
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| Country: |
US United States of America
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| Inventor: |
Cox, Norman Eugene; Raleigh, NC
Christensen, Kenneth J.; Tampa, FL
Ervin, Jim P.; Raleigh, NC
Matlack, Jr., Richard Colbert; Raleigh, NC
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| Assignee: |
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY
other patents from INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION (280070) (approx. 44,393)
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| Published / Filed: |
2001-01-09
/ 1997-10-30
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| Application Number: |
US1997000961114
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| IPC Code: |
Advanced:
H04Q 11/04;
H04L 12/56;
Core:
more...
IPC-7:
H04L 12/28;
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| ECLA Code: |
H04Q11/04S2;
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| U.S. Class: |
Current:
370/401;
370/395.31;
370/395.53;
370/405;
Original:
370/401;
370/395;
370/405;
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| Field of Search: |
370/401,402,403,404,409,399,397,395,389
709/245
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| Priority Number: |
| 1997-10-30 |
US1997000961114 |
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| Abstract: |
A route switching layer is provided to end stations on a local area network (LAN) segment between the network layer protocol stack and the LAN adapter device driver. The route switching layer reads the network layer protocol header in a data frame queued for transmission. If the data frame is destined for a station on a different LAN segment, the route switching layer compares the network layer address with entries stored in a local address table. If a match occurs, the route switching layer inserts the corresponding data link layer address from the table in the data link header that is appended to the data frame. The data frame is then transmitted directly from source to destination end station by a hardware switch. If an address table match does not occur, the source station route switching layer sends a query to a route server device for the data link layer address corresponding to the network layer address of the destination end station. The route server sends a response to the source station route switching layer which then stores the destination address information in the local address table.
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| Attorney, Agent or Firm: |
Timar, John J. ;
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| Primary / Asst. Examiners: |
Pham, Chi H.; Duong, Frank
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| Maintenance Status: |
E1 Expired Check current status
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| INPADOC Legal Status: |
Show legal status actions
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| Family: |
None
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First Claim:
Show all 21 claims |
What is claimed is:
1. A data communication system having a plurality of interconnected, logically distinct networks for distributing the network routing functions to individual end stations on each network, comprising:
- at least one switch for providing a data link layer switching function between said logically distinct networks;
- a source end station on a first logical network;
- a destination end station on a second logical network, said destination end station having a network layer address and a data link layer address;
- a route server connected to said first and second logical networks for providing to said source end station, an address mapping from the network layer address to the data link layer address of the destination end station;
- route switching programming code in said source end station for requesting from said route server the data link layer address of said destination end station corresponding to said network layer address, and inserting said data link layer address in each data frame to be transmitted to said destination end station; and
- an address table at said source end station for storing a mapping of said destination end station network layer address to said data link layer address.
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| Background / Summary: |
Show background / summary
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| Drawing Descriptions: |
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| Description: |
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| Forward References: |
Show 57 U.S. patent(s) that reference this one
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