Method for determining network paths
First Claim
1. A method of determining one or more paths through a communications network, which one or more paths are arranged to transmit data between at least one transmitting node and at least one receiving node, the method comprising the steps of:
- (i) identifying a first network forwarding node that is in operative association with the transmitting node;
(ii) for each port of the first network forwarding node, determining a network address of a second network forwarding node to which the data has passed;
(iii) repeating step (ii) for each of the second and subsequently so determined network forwarding nodes, until a network forwarding node is determined to be directly connected to the at least one receiving node.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of determining one or more paths through a communications network, which one or more paths are arranged to transmit data between at least one transmitting node and at least one receiving node, the method comprising the steps of:
(i) identifying a first network forwarding node that is in operative association with the transmitting node;
(ii) for each port of the first network forwarding node, determining a network address of a second network forwarding node to which the data has passed; repeating step (ii) for each of the second and subsequently so determined network forwarding nodes, until a network forwarding node is determined to be directly connected to the at least one receiving node.
71 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method of determining one or more paths through a communications network, which one or more paths are arranged to transmit data between at least one transmitting node and at least one receiving node, the method comprising the steps of:
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(i) identifying a first network forwarding node that is in operative association with the transmitting node;
(ii) for each port of the first network forwarding node, determining a network address of a second network forwarding node to which the data has passed;
(iii) repeating step (ii) for each of the second and subsequently so determined network forwarding nodes, until a network forwarding node is determined to be directly connected to the at least one receiving node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14)
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11. Apparatus for determining one or more paths through a communications network, which one or more paths are arranged to transmit data between at least one transmitting node and at least one receiving node, the apparatus comprising:
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(i) identifying means for identifying a first network forwarding node that is in operative association with the transmitting node;
(ii) determining means for determining a network address of a second network forwarding node to which the data has passed, for each port of the first network forwarding node;
(iii) means for repeating operation of the determining means (ii) for each of the second and subsequently so determined network forwarding nodes, the apparatus being arranged such that the means (iii) repeats operation of the determining means (ii) until a network forwarding node is determined to be directly connected to the at least one receiving node. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. Path determining apparatus for use in determining one or more paths for multicast data through a communications network, the network comprising nodes connected by communications links,
at least a first of which nodes being provided with multicast routing data and multicast protocol data for use in routing multicast traffic over the network from a transmitting source to at least one receiving node, wherein the path determining apparatus comprises means to access the multicast routing data and multicast protocol data and to retrieve information therefrom in determining the path from the transmitting source to the at least one receiving node.
Specification