Managing VLAN traffic in a multiport network node using customer-specific identifiers
First Claim
1. A method for managing traffic in a multiport network node comprising:
- establishing a customer-specific virtual local area network (VLAN) that specifies ports that are included in said customer-specific VLAN and that is identified by a customer-specific VLAN identifier (ID) that is a combination of a VLAN ID and a customer ID;
mapping traffic to said customer-specific VLAN; and
broadcasting said traffic to ports in said customer-specific VLAN.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A technique for managing traffic in a multiport network node involves establishing customer-specific VLANs within the multiport network node that are identified by a combination of a VLAN ID and a customer ID. Traffic received at the multiport network node is mapped to a customer-specific VLAN and then broadcast to ports that are included in the customer-specific VLAN. Because customer-specific VLANs are identified by a combination of a VLAN ID and customer ID, a service provider can establish and maintain private broadcast domains on a per-customer ID basis. This enables the service provider to expand the number of unique VLAN IDs within the Service Provider Edge Device beyond the 4,096 limitation set by the IEEE 802.1Q standard while maintaining interoperability with the IEEE 802.1Q standard for incoming and outgoing traffic.
53 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for managing traffic in a multiport network node comprising:
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establishing a customer-specific virtual local area network (VLAN) that specifies ports that are included in said customer-specific VLAN and that is identified by a customer-specific VLAN identifier (ID) that is a combination of a VLAN ID and a customer ID;
mapping traffic to said customer-specific VLAN; and
broadcasting said traffic to ports in said customer-specific VLAN. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for managing traffic in a multiport network node comprising:
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a virtual local area network (VLAN) establish engine configured to establish a customer-specific VLAN that specifies ports that are included in said customer-specific VLAN and that is identified by a customer-specific VLAN identifier (ID) that is a combination of a VLAN ID and a customer ID;
a VLAN mapping engine configured to map traffic to said customer-specific VLAN; and
a VLAN broadcast engine configured to broadcast said traffic that is mapped by said VLAN mapping engine to ports in said customer-specific VLAN that is established by said VLAN establish engine. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for managing traffic in a multiport network node comprising:
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receiving traffic at said multiport network node;
identifying a virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier (ID) to which said traffic belongs;
mapping said traffic to a customer ID; and
transmitting said traffic to ports in a broadcast domain wherein said broadcast domain is identified by the combination of said VLAN ID and said customer ID. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20)
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18. The method of 13 wherein said traffic is transmitted to all ports said broadcast domain except the port on which said traffic was received.
Specification