Intelligent Adjunct Network Device

• US 20110134923A1
• Filed: 02/14/2011
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ali Golshan, Douglas Alan Gourlay, Jeffrey Y.M. Wang, Michael D. Smith
• Original Assignee: Ali Golshan, Douglas Alan Gourlay, Jeffrey Y.M. Wang, Michael D. Smith
• Inventors: Wang, Jeffrey Ym, Gourlay, Douglas Alan, Golshan, Ali, Smith, Michael R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,755,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/08 Allotting numbers to messages; Counting characters, words or messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/04 Network management architectures or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control

Abstract

An adjunct network device includes several ports, an uplink interface, and an adjunct forwarding engine coupled to the ports and the uplink interface. A first port is configured to receive a packet, which includes a destination address. The adjunct forwarding engine is configured to send the packet to the uplink interface if the destination address is not associated with any of the ports. The packet is sent to one of the ports if the destination address is associated with the one of the ports.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a packet via a first port of a plurality of ports, the packet comprising a destination address; and

if the destination address does not correspond to any of the plurality of ports, sending the packet to an uplink interface.