System and method for isolating network clients

• US 20040001478A1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wong, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,660,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/245 Link aggregation, e.g. trunking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A network device includes at least one first network port, at least one second network port, a MUX unit and a switching unit. The MUX unit is connected to the at least one first network port. The MUX unit includes a trunk circuit and an output. The trunk circuit is configured to aggregate data packets received at the at least one first port into a trunk group and to output trunked data packets to the output. The switching unit is connected to the output of the MUX unit and to the at least one second network port. The switching unit is configured to switch the trunked data packets to the at least one second network port.

Claims

1. A network device comprising:

at least one first network port;

at least one second network port;

a MUX unit connected to said at least one first network port, said MUX unit including a trunk circuit and an output, said trunk circuit configured to aggregate data packets received at said at least one first port into a trunk group and to output trunked data packets to said output; and

a switching unit connected to the output of said MUX unit and to said at least one second network port, and configured to switch said trunked data packets to said at least one second network port.

2. The network device as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one first network port comprises at least one downstream network port, and said at least one second network port comprises at least one upstream network port.

3. The network device as recited in claim 1, wherein said switching unit is further connected to said at least one first network port wherein data packets received from said output of said MUX unit or from said at least one second network port is switched to said at least one first network port.

4. The network device as recited in claim 3, wherein said switching unit further comprises a MAC and an ARL configured to switch data packets.

5. The network device as recited in claim 1, wherein said trucking circuit includes at least one isolation circuit corresponding to said at least one first network port.

6. The network device as recited in claim 5, wherein said trunking circuit is configured to eliminate PPP communications between a plurality of ports.

7. The network device as recited in claim 5, wherein said trunking circuit includes a multiplexer.

8. The network device as recited in claim 5, wherein said MUX unit includes amemory buffer, said memory buffer configured to store data packets from said at least one first network port.

9. The network device as recited in claim 8, wherein said MUX unit includes a scheduler coupled with said memory buffer and configured to queue data packets stored in said memory buffer.

10. A method for isolating a plurality of network clients, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of network ports, at least one of said plurality of network ports being connected to at least one client of said plurality of network clients, said plurality of network ports including a first group of network ports and a second group of network ports;

isolating each of said first group of network ports from each other;

receiving input data packets at said first group of network ports;

trunking said input data packets received at said first group of network ports;

inputting the results of said trunking step into a switching unit of said network device; and

switching said input data packets to a port of said second group of port.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said isolating step includes a step of providing a multiplexer having a plurality of inputs and an output, and coupling said plurality of inputs of said multiplexer with said first group of network ports, and wherein said trunking step is performed by said multiplexer, the results of said trunking step being output from said multiplexer.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising a step of buffering said input packets prior to trunking said input data packets.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising a step of scheduling said input data packets that are buffered in said buffering step, prior to trunking said input data packets.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising a step of providing a trunking circuit which receives said input data packets from said first group of ports, said trunking circuit eliminating PPP communications between each of said first group of ports, wherein an output of said trunking circuit is the result of said trunking step.

15. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising a step of providing a separate circuit for switching results of said trunking step to a port of said first group of network ports.

16. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising a step of connecting the first group of network ports in a ring topology.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising a step of designating an uplink and a downlink for transmitting the data packets.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the steps of reversing a direction of the uplink and reversing a direction of the downlink.

19. A network device, comprising:

a plurality of first network ports;

at least one second network port;

a MUX means connected to said plurality of first network ports, said MUX means for trunking data packets received at said at least one first port and outputting trunked data packets; and

a switching means connected to an output of said MUX means and to said at least one second network port, said switching means for switching said trunked data packets to said at least one second network port.

20. The network device as recited in claim 19, wherein said at least one first network port comprises at least one downstream network port, and said at least one second network port comprises at least one upstream network port.

21. The network device as recited in claim 19, wherein said switching means is further connected to said at least one first network port wherein data packets received from said output of said MUX means or from said at least one second network port is switched to said at least one first network port.

22. The network device as recited in claim 21, wherein said switching means further comprises a MAC means f or performing Ethernet switching and an ARL means for performing address resolution.

23. The network device as recited in claim 19, wherein said MUX means includes plurality of isolation circuit means corresponding to each of said first plurality of network ports, said plurality of isolation circuit means for isolating at least one port of said first plurality of network ports from one another.

24. The network device as recited in claim 23, wherein said plurality of isolation circuit means eliminate PPP communications between ports of said plurality of first network ports.

25. The network device as recited in claim 23, wherein said MUX means further includes a multiplexer means for trunking said input data packets.

26. The network device as recited in claim 23, wherein said MUX means includes a memory buffer means for storing data packets from said first plurality of network port.

27. The network device as recited in claim 26, wherein said MUX means includes a scheduler means for queuing data packets stored in said memory buffer means.

28. The network device as recited in claim 19, wherein the plurality of first network ports is connected in a ring topology.

29. The network device as recited in claim 28, wherein the network device is configured to designate an uplink and a downlink for transmitting the data packets.

30. The network device as recited in claim 29, wherein the network device is configured to reverse a direction of the uplink and reverse a direction of the downlink.