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Self-configuring communication network

  • US 6,757,286 B1
  • Filed: 08/01/2000
  • Issued: 06/29/2004
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method for configuring a tagged virtual connection in a communication network, said virtual connection interconnecting a first boundary device with a second boundary device via N intermediate devices, where N is a positive integer, the method comprising:

  • (a) on a first boundary device, generating and forwarding to a first intermediate device a first tag allocation request including a logical group identifier;

    (b) if N is greater than one, on an (N−

    M)th intermediate device, in response to an (N−

    M)th tag allocation request, generating and forwarding to an (N−

    M+1)th intermediate device an (N−

    M+1)th tag allocation request including said logical group identifier, where M is initially equal to N−

    1;

    (c) if N is greater than one, repeating step (b) for each integral value of M between N−

    1 and zero, excluding N−

    1 and zero; and

    (d) on an Nth intermediate device, in response to an Nth tag allocation request, generating and forwarding to a second boundary device an (N+1)th tag allocation request including said logical group identifier, wherein tag values associated with said logical group identifier are allocated and transmitted between said devices in relation to number of tag allocation requests; and

    wherein said tag values are applied to establish a tagged virtual connection for transmitting end-user messages destined to one or more of a plurality of destination stations belonging to a logical group identified by said logical group identifier.

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