Virtual network using asynchronous transfer mode
First Claim
1. A communication system comprising,an ATM network having a plurality of ports, each port having a unique port address, and said ATM network including one or more ATM switches for connecting sending ports having sending port addresses to receiving ports having receiving port addresses,a plurality of stations, each station having a unique station address distinguishing the station from other stations, each station connected to the ATM network at one of said ports whereby source stations at said sending ports communicate with destination stations at said receiving ports, each station including,packet means for providing packets for transferring information, said information including a destination station address for addressing one or a group of said destination stations,packet converter means connected to said packet means for converting between packets and cells for transfers between stations,address resolution means connected to the ATM network for determining a particular one or more of said receiving port addresses corresponding to said destination station address, said address resolution means including multicast means for multicasting said destination station address from a particular one of said source stations to a group of said destination stations, said multicast means including,response means for providing said particular one or more of said receiving port addresses corresponding to said destination station address,reply means for transmitting said particular one or more of said receiving port addresses to a sending port through said ATM network,connection management means connected to receive said one or more receiving port addresses from said address resolution means for requesting connections through said ATM network connecting said sending ports to said receiving ports whereby packets are transferred from source stations to destination stations by cell transfers through said ATM network.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Asynchronous Transfer Mode Local Area Network (ATM LAN). The ATM LAN is implemented as a set of MAC entities which share a common group address space for the purposes of establishing multicast connections. Each station has one or more ATM MAC entities per physical connection to an ATM network. The network ATM LAN service provides the station with ATM LAN configuration information needed for ATM MAC operation. Included in this information is the number of ATM LANs the network has configured for that station.
187 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A communication system comprising,
an ATM network having a plurality of ports, each port having a unique port address, and said ATM network including one or more ATM switches for connecting sending ports having sending port addresses to receiving ports having receiving port addresses, a plurality of stations, each station having a unique station address distinguishing the station from other stations, each station connected to the ATM network at one of said ports whereby source stations at said sending ports communicate with destination stations at said receiving ports, each station including, packet means for providing packets for transferring information, said information including a destination station address for addressing one or a group of said destination stations, packet converter means connected to said packet means for converting between packets and cells for transfers between stations, address resolution means connected to the ATM network for determining a particular one or more of said receiving port addresses corresponding to said destination station address, said address resolution means including multicast means for multicasting said destination station address from a particular one of said source stations to a group of said destination stations, said multicast means including, response means for providing said particular one or more of said receiving port addresses corresponding to said destination station address, reply means for transmitting said particular one or more of said receiving port addresses to a sending port through said ATM network, connection management means connected to receive said one or more receiving port addresses from said address resolution means for requesting connections through said ATM network connecting said sending ports to said receiving ports whereby packets are transferred from source stations to destination stations by cell transfers through said ATM network.
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8. A communication system comprising,
an ATM network having a plurality of ports, each port having a unique port address, and said ATM network including one or more ATM switches for connecting sending ports having sending port addresses to receiving ports having receiving port addresses, a plurality of stations, each station having a unique station address distinguishing the station from other stations, each station connected to the ATM network at one of said ports whereby source stations at said sending ports communicate with destination stations at said receiving ports, each station including, packet means for providing packets for transferring information, said information including a destination station address for addressing a group of said destination stations, packet converter means connected to said packet means for converting between packets and cells for transfers between stations, address resolution means connected to the ATM network for determining a particular one of said receiving port addresses corresponding to said destination station address, said address resolution means including multicast means for multicasting said destination station address from a particular one of said source stations to a group of said destination stations, wherein said group of destination stations that receive the multicast destination station address constitutes a local network, connection management means connected to receive said particular one of said receiving port addresses from said address resolution means for requesting connections through said ATM network connecting said sending ports to said receiving ports whereby packets are transferred from source stations to destination stations by cell transfers through said ATM network, local network management means for controlling which of said stations are included within said group of destination stations that receive the multicast destination station address.
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14. A communication system comprising,
an ATM network having a plurality of ports, each port having a unique port address and said ATM network including an ATM switch for connecting sending ports having sending port addresses to receiving ports having receiving port addresses, a plurality of stations, each station having a unique station address distinguishing the station from other stations, each station connected to the ATM network at one of said ports whereby source stations at said sending ports communicate with destination stations at said receiving ports, each station including, packet means for providing packets for transferring information, said information including a destination station address for addressing one or a group of said destination stations, packet converter means connected to said packet means for converting between packets and cells for transfers between stations, identification means for identifying a plurality of groups of stations, each group constituting a local network of the stations in the group, address resolution means connected to the ATM network for determining a particular one or more of said receiving port addresses corresponding to said destination station address, said address resolution means including multicast means for multicasting said destination station address from a particular one of said source stations to a group of stations constituting a local network including the source station identified by said identification means, wherein said multicast means includes, response means for providing said particular one or more of said receiving port addresses corresponding to said destination station address, reply means for transmitting said particular one or more of said receiving port addresses to a sending port through said ATM network, connection management means connected to receive said receiving port addresses from said address resolution means for requesting connections through said ATM network to connect said sending ports to said receiving ports whereby packets are transferred from source stations to destination stations by cell transfers through said ATM network.
Specification