Remote configuration of a subnet configuration table in a network device

• US 7,099,285 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2001
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Viswanath, Somnath, Kanuri, Mrudula, Krishna, Gopal S.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Doris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N.
• Application Number:
  US09/881,019
• Time in Patent Office: 1,901 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/389, 370/392, 370/395.3, 370/400, 370/395.31, 370/395.32, 370/401, 709217-224, 709/238, 709/242, 709/243
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/15 Interconnection of switching modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3009 Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/604 Hybrid IP/Ethernet switches

Abstract

A multiport switching device includes a configuration table that stores associations between addresses of subnets directly connected to the switching device and the port number of the multiport switching device that leads to the subnet. A host processor connected to the multiport switching device updates and maintains the configuration table. A remote processor communicates with the switching device through the host processor. To facilitate the communication of the remote processor with the multiport switch, the host processor executes a TCP/IP stack and the multiport switch is assigned a unique IP address.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting packets of information, comprising:

a multiport switch connected to a plurality of subnets through ports of the multiport switch, each of the plurality of subnets being associated with a subnet Internet Protocol (IP) address, the multiport switch further including a configuration table storing associations between the subnet IP addresses and the ports of the multiport switch;

a host processor connected locally to the multiport switch, the multiport switch determining appropriate ones of the output ports to output the packets based on the configuration table and destination information in the packets; and

a remote processor communicating with the multiport switch through the host processor using an IP address assigned to the multiport switch, the remote processor remotely configuring the configuration table in the multiport switch.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the host processor communicates with the remote processor through a TCP/IP stack.

3. The system of claim 1, further including:

a router coupled to at least one port of the multiport switch.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the router is coupled to a second plurality of subnets, the second plurality of subnets connecting to the multiport switch through the router.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the remote processor is located in one of the second plurality of subnets.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiport switch is a layer 3 switch.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the host processor is configured to transmit status information relating to the multiport switch to the remote processor.

8. A method of processing packets in a network device, comprising:

receiving a packet at one of a plurality of receive ports in the network device, the packet including address information that indicates at least a destination subnet for the packet;

determining output ports in the network device for the packet based on the address information and based on information in a configuration table;

forwarding the packet to the destination subnet via the identified one or more output ports; and

allowing a remote processor to remotely configure the configuration table, the remote processor transmitting information to configure the configuration table using an IP address uniquely assigned to the network device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the remote processor communicates with the network device through a host processor connected to the network device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the host processor executes a TCP/IP stack.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the host processor transmits status information relating to the network device to the remote processor.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the network device is a layer 3 switch.

13. A network device for routing packets received in a packet-switched network comprising:

means for receiving the packets from the network, each of the packets having information that includes at least destination information that indicates an intended destination subnet for the packet;

a configuration table storing associations between Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of subnets and output ports of the multiport switch, the configuration table being remotely updated to reflect configuration information received from a remote processor;

means for determining appropriate output ports in the network device for the received packets based on the destination information and the configuration table; and

transmit means for transmitting the packets from the output ports determined by the means for determining.

14. The network device of claim 13, further including:

a host processor connected locally to the network device, the host processor communicating with the remote processor.

15. The network device of claim 14, wherein the host processor communicates with the remote processor through a TCP/IP stack.

16. The network device of claim 14, wherein the host processor transmits status information relating to the network device to the remote processor.

17. The network device of claim 13, wherein the network device is assigned a unique IP address.

18. The network device of claim 13, wherein the network device is a layer 3 switch.