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Method and apparatus for virtual switching

  • US 5,550,816 A
  • Filed: 12/29/1994
  • Issued: 08/27/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A physical switching device for use in a communication network to switch Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) network layer protocol data units within the communication network, the physical switching device comprising:

  • (a) at least a first and a second virtual switch, each virtual switch comprising decision means for determining an associated directive based on a destination identifier within a particular protocol data unit received at a data port, each virtual switch further comprising processing means for inserting the particular protocol data unit into an outgoing data stream on another data port according to the associated directive to enable delivery of the protocol data unit to the destination identifier, both data ports being associated with a set of data interfaces selected from a plurality of data interfaces in a physical communication network switch, the set of data interfaces being assigned exclusively to a unique virtual switch;

    (b) management means, operatively coupled to each virtual switch, for maintaining information on an association between the plurality of data interfaces and each virtual switch, the management means comprising control means dependent on the association information for limiting the processing means of each virtual switch to only inserting the particular protocol data unit into an outgoing data stream on another data port associated with the same virtual switch which received the particular protocol data unit.

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