EFFICIENT PRUNING OF VIRTUAL SERVICES IN BRIDGED COMPUTER NETWORKS
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- executing a spanning tree protocol (STP) for network topology at a bridge in a computer network;
executing a registration protocol for traffic control of virtual connections at the bridge;
generating, at a gateway port of the bridge interconnected with a provider network, fake received registration protocol join messages for a particular virtual connection at the gateway port;
in response to the gateway port being in a forwarding state according to the STP, propagating the join messages on other forwarding ports of the bridge; and
in response to the gateway port not being in a forwarding state, blocking propagation of the join messages to other ports of the bridge.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, a bridge in a computer network may execute a spanning tree protocol (STP) for network topology and a registration protocol for traffic control of virtual connections (e.g., EVCs) at the bridge. For any gateway ports of the bridge inter-connected with a provider network, the bridge may generate “fake” received registration protocol join messages for a particular virtual connection at the gateway port. The bridge may then either i) propagate the join messages, in response to the gateway port being in a forwarding state according to the STP, on other forwarding ports of the bridge, or ii) in response to the gateway port not being in a forwarding state, block propagation of the join messages to other ports of the bridge.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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executing a spanning tree protocol (STP) for network topology at a bridge in a computer network; executing a registration protocol for traffic control of virtual connections at the bridge; generating, at a gateway port of the bridge interconnected with a provider network, fake received registration protocol join messages for a particular virtual connection at the gateway port; in response to the gateway port being in a forwarding state according to the STP, propagating the join messages on other forwarding ports of the bridge; and in response to the gateway port not being in a forwarding state, blocking propagation of the join messages to other ports of the bridge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus, comprising:
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a plurality of network ports to communicate frames in a computer network; a processor coupled to the network ports and adapted to execute one or more processes; and a memory configured to store a virtual service pruning process executable by the processor, the virtual service pruning process when executed operable to; execute a spanning tree protocol (STP) for network topology in the computer network; execute a registration protocol for traffic control of virtual connections; generate, at a gateway port of the ports interconnected with a provider network, fake received registration protocol join messages for a particular virtual connection at the gateway port; propagate the join messages, in response to the gateway port being in a forwarding state according to the STP, on forwarding ports of the bridge; and block propagation of the join messages to other ports of the bridge in response to the gateway port not being in a forwarding state. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system, comprising:
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a plurality of bridges in an aggregation computer network, each bridge configured to execute a spanning tree protocol (STP) for network topology and further configured to execute a registration protocol for traffic control of virtual connections; at least one gateway bridge of the plurality of bridges, the gateway bridge having a gateway port interconnected with a provider network, the gateway bridge configured to generate fake received registration protocol join messages for a particular virtual connection at the gateway port, the gateway bridge further configured to i) propagate the join messages on other forwarding ports of the gateway bridge in response to the gateway port being in a forwarding state according to the STP, and ii) block propagation of the join messages to other ports of the gateway bridge in response to the gateway port not being in a forwarding state. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification