VLAN frame format
DC
First Claim
1. A method of identifying a virtual network associated with a data frame when transmitting said data frame between a communications medium and a shared communications medium, comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving said data frame from said communications medium, said data frame comprising a first type field and a data field;
b) inserting a second type field at a location within said data frame preceding said first type field, said second type field indicating said data frame comprises a virtual network identifier field;
c) inserting said virtual network identifier field at a location between said second type field and said first type field;
d) assigning a first value to said virtual network identifier field, said first value corresponding to said virtual network; and
e) transmitting said data frame over said shared communications medium.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a network device such as a network switch having a port coupled to a communications medium dedicated to a single virtual local area network and another port coupled to a communications medium shared among multiple virtual local area networks for transmitting data frames between the dedicated communications medium and the shared communications medium, a method of identifying the virtual network associated with each data frame received by the network switch when transmitting the data frames over the shared communications medium. The method comprises receiving data frames from the dedicated communications medium coupled to one port, and, with respect to each data frame so received, inserting a new type field and a virtual network identifier field. The contents of the new type field indicate the data frame comprises a virtual network identifier field. The method further includes placing a value in the virtual network identifier field identifying the virtual network associated with the data frame and transmitting the data frame over the shared communications medium. Upon receipt of the data frames from over the shared communications medium, another network device can discern from the virtual network identifier field in each data frame the virtual network from which the data frames were received and determine whether to forward the data frames accordingly.
189 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of identifying a virtual network associated with a data frame when transmitting said data frame between a communications medium and a shared communications medium, comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving said data frame from said communications medium, said data frame comprising a first type field and a data field; b) inserting a second type field at a location within said data frame preceding said first type field, said second type field indicating said data frame comprises a virtual network identifier field; c) inserting said virtual network identifier field at a location between said second type field and said first type field; d) assigning a first value to said virtual network identifier field, said first value corresponding to said virtual network; and e) transmitting said data frame over said shared communications medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of identifying a virtual network associated with a data frame when transmitting said data frame between a communications medium and a shared communications medium, comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving said data frame from said communications medium, said data frame comprising a length field and a data field; b) inserting a type field at a location within said data frame preceding said length field, said type field indicating said data frame comprises a virtual network identifier field; c) inserting said virtual network identifier field at a location between said type field and said length field; d) assigning a first value to said virtual network identifier field, said first value corresponding to said virtual network; and e) transmitting said data frame over said shared communications medium. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. In a network device, a method of transmitting a virtual network identifier in a data frame transmitted on a shared communications medium coupled to said network device, comprising:
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a) transmitting a preamble field; b) transmitting a destination and source media access control address field; c) transmitting a first type field whose contents indicate said virtual network identifier is present in said data frame; d) transmitting a virtual network identifier field containing said virtual network identifier; e) transmitting a second type field whose contents indicate a protocol type associated with said data frame; and
,f) transmitting a data field. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. In a network device having a first port coupled to a local area network (LAN) segment and a second port coupled to a shared communications medium, a method of associating a virtual network with a data frame received from said LAN segment and transmitted to said shared communications medium, comprising:
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a) receiving said data frame at said first port, said data frame comprising a type field and a data field; b) replacing a first value in said type field representing a protocol type with a second value indicating said data frame comprises a virtual network identifier field; c) inserting said virtual network identifier field in said data frame between said type field containing said second value and said data field; d) assigning a value representing said virtual network to said virtual network identifier field; and e) transmitting said data frame from said second port. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification
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- Resources
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Current AssigneeInternational License Exchange of America, LLC (Equitable IP Corporation)
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Original AssigneeNortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
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InventorsFrantz, Paul James, Thompson, Geoffrey O.
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Primary Examiner(s)LUTHER, WILLIAM A
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Application NumberUS08/705,631Time in Patent Office1,460 DaysField of Search370/392, 370/393, 370/397, 370/338, 370/401, 370/402, 370/466, 370/471, 370/474, 370/469, 395/200.3, 395/200.79US Class Current370/392CPC Class CodesH04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks...H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. v...H04L 12/4645 Details on frame tagging ro...H04L 12/467 Arrangements for supporting...H04W 72/569 of the traffic informationH04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connec...H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e...
