Multiplex communications – Pathfinding or routing – Switching a message which includes an address header
Reexamination Certificate
2011-06-07
2011-06-07
Phan, Man (Department: 2475)
Multiplex communications
Pathfinding or routing
Switching a message which includes an address header
C370S392000, C370S402000, C709S225000
Reexamination Certificate
active
07957374
ABSTRACT:
A mechanism is disclosed that enables layer two host addresses (e.g. a MAC addresses) to be shielded from a network. In one implementation, the mechanism updates each packet sent by the hosts into the network to indicate that the source layer two (L2) address for that packet is a shared L2 address instead of the actual L2 address of the sending host. By doing so, the mechanism exposes only the shared L2 address to the network, and shields the actual L2 addresses of the hosts from the network. The effect of this is that the switches in the network will need to store only the shared L2 address in their forwarding tables, not the actual L2 addresses of the hosts. By reducing the number of L2 addresses that need to be stored in the forwarding tables of the switches, the mechanism improves the scalability of the network.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6188694 (2001-02-01), Fine et al.
patent: 7155740 (2006-12-01), Brustoloni
patent: 7286537 (2007-10-01), Roh
patent: 7421736 (2008-09-01), Mukherjee et al.
patent: 7606902 (2009-10-01), Rao et al.
patent: 7769004 (2010-08-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 2003/0154306 (2003-08-01), Perry
patent: 2006/0037071 (2006-02-01), Rao et al.
patent: 2006/0039356 (2006-02-01), Rao et al.
patent: 2010/0002693 (2010-01-01), Rao et al.
patent: 2010/0005288 (2010-01-01), Rao et al.
patent: 2010/0281181 (2010-11-01), Johnson et al.
“Network Address Translation”—Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, dated Sep. 9, 2008 (8 pgs).
The RFC Archive, RFC #3022, entitled Traditional IP Network Address Translator (Traditional NAT), dated Mach 25, 2009 (15 pgs).
“Address Resolution Protocol”—Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, dated Sep. 9, 2008 (5 pgs).
RFC 826, entitled “An Ethernet Address Resolution Protocol”—or—“Converting Network Protocol Addresses”, by David C. Plummer dated Nov. 1982 (12 pgs).
Mihelich Joseph R.
Tanaka Bert H.
Fortinet, Inc.
Hamilton DeSanctis & Cha, LLP
Phan Man
LandOfFree
Mechanism for enabling layer two host addresses to be... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Mechanism for enabling layer two host addresses to be..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Mechanism for enabling layer two host addresses to be... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2700814