METHOD OF TRANSMITTING ETHERNET PACKETS
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The method involves transmitting Ethernet packets between two or more Ethernet LANs through an interconnecting IP network. Each of the Ethernet LANs is connected to the interconnecting IP network by means of a respective customer edge device. An exchange between the customer edge devices of control information associated with the Ethernet packet transmission is processed and controlled by a centralised server connected to each of the customer edge devices via a control connection.
87 Citations
34 Claims
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1-17. -17. (canceled)
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18. A method of transmitting Ethernet packets between two or more Ethernet LANs through an interconnecting IP network, each of the Ethernet LANs being connected to the interconnecting IP network by means of one or more respective customer edge devices,
wherein that the method comprises: processing and controlling, by a centralised server connected to a plurality of the customer edge devices via control connections, wherein each customer edge device maintains a control connection of these control connections to the centralised server, an exchange of control information associated with the Ethernet packet transmission between the customer edge devices of the two or more Ethernet LANs, wherein the centralized server processes and controls the control information exchange between the customer edge devices. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A centralised server of an overlay network with two or more Ethernet LANs and an interconnecting IP network, the centralised server comprising two or more interfaces for connecting the centralised server via control connections to respective customer edge devices, wherein each customer edge device maintains a control connection of these control connections to the centralised server, each of the customer edge devices connecting one or more associated Ethernet LANs to the interconnecting IP network,
wherein that the centralised server is adapted to process and control an exchange of control information between the customer edge devices of the two or more Ethernet LANs, the control information being associated with a transmission of Ethernet packets between two or more of the two or more Ethernet LANs through the interconnecting IP network.
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30. A customer edge device associated with one or more Ethernet LANs, the customer edge device comprising at least one Ethernet interface to the Ethernet LAN, at least one data traffic interface to an interconnecting IP network interconnecting the Ethernet LAN with at least one further Ethernet LAN for a transmission of Ethernet packets between the Ethernet LAN and the at least one further Ethernet LAN via the inter connecting IP network, and a control information interface to a centralised server for exchange of control information associated with the Ethernet packet transmission via a control connection out of a plurality of control connections, wherein the control information is sent to and received from the centralised server through the control information interface via the control connection out of the plurality of control connections, wherein each customer edge device maintains a control connection of these control connections to the centralised server,
wherein that the said exchange of control information is between the customer edge device and respective customer edge devices of the at least one further Ethernet LAN, wherein the centralized server processes and controls the control information exchange between the customer edge devices.
Specification