Bay Networks, Inc.

Synoptics Communications, Inc.

Dilip Chatwani

Rajan Subramanian

Ayal Opher

Winnis Chiang

Shiva Sawant

Jonathan Davar

An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network or the like employing a method and apparatus for automatically determining the topology of the network is described. The method and apparatus provides for each switch in the network transmitting on each of its ports link advertisement messages (without processing intervention by intermediate switches). The link advertisement messages are received by neighbor switches and forwarded to a topology manager. The topology manager constructs network topology profile information based on received link advertisement messages. Further, the topology manager is able to verify bidirection links based on the received link advertisement messages.

Apparatus for determining the topology of an ATM network or the like Via

Method for providing for automatic topology discovery in an ATM network

An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network or the like providing for dynamic client discovery. Clients transmit client registration messages over the virtual service paths of their associated switches to the central management supervisor. Responsive to receiving the client registration message, the central management supervisor updates its registration tables and transmits a client registration acknowledgement, again over the virtual service path. By using the virtual service path of their associated switch to effect communication with the central management supervisor, there is no need to incur overhead of having the transmission managed by the associated switch's (and intermediate switch's) controller. Rather, the switch merely acts to update the cell's header using the switch's switch fabric. Keep alive messages are exchanged, again over the virtual service path, between the central management supervisor and the client.

System for registration of clients in an ATM network providing for

A synchronous transfer mode (ATM) network or the like employing a method and apparatus for automatically determining the topology of the network is described. The method and apparatus provides for each switch in the network transmitting on each of its ports link advertisement messages (without processing intervention by intermediate switches). The link advertisement messages are received by neighbor switches and forwarded to a topology manager. The topology manager constructs network topology profile information based on received link advertisement messages. Further, the topology manager is able to verify bidirection links based on the received link advertisement messages.

Apparatus for providing for automatic topology discovery in an ATM

An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network or the like having a plurality of switches which may each be coupled with a central service provider over a virtual service path. Service requests, grants of service, and other control information for the network may then be communicated between each of said switches and the central service provider over virtual communication channels within said virtual service path. The disclosed method and apparatus provides for efficient communication of service requests and service grants without requirement to establish new communications paths between the individual switches and the central service provider for each request. Further, the ATM network may be managed by the central service provider as a logical star network.

Multiplexing of communications services on a virtual service path in an

An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network or the like providing for formation of resource hunt groups. The hunt groups are formed by devices of the same class (e.g., servers such as multicast servers) by devices registering with a central management supervisor (also referred to herein as a hunt group manager) through communication of hunt group registration requests over the virtual service path of the switches to which devices are attached. The central management supervisor communicates with an acknowledgement message back to the requesting device, again over the virtual service path. After formation of a hunt group, devices requiring the services of a device registered in the hunt group can communicate a request for establishment of a communication path to the central management supervisor. The central management supervisor then establishes a communication path with an available one of the devices in the hunt group.

Method and apparatus providing for hunt groups in an ATM network of the

An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network or the like providing for booting of switches from one or more boot servers. The booting process comprises the steps of a switch querying as to possible communication paths with a boot manager and then establishing a boot communication channel with the boot manager. Boot messages are then communicated over the boot communication channel. Importantly, boot messages may be transmitted between the booting switch and the boot manager through a neighboring switch and intermediate switches by using the neighboring switch's virtual service path to effect such communication. This allows communication of these messages through translation by the neighbor's and the intermediate switch's switch fabric and without need for utilization of the neighbor's or the intermediate switch's switch controller.

Method and apparatus providing for bootstrapping of switches in an ATM

A topology-independent method and apparatus for avoiding continuous looping of transmission of cells and for allowing broadcast of cells in a network implementing Asynchronous Transfer Mode ('ATM') or similar networking architectures. The disclosed method and apparatus provides for 'misusing' fields in a cell header in order to provide for information identifying a cell as a broadcast cell and to provide for 'expiration information' in the cell header. More specifically, a first station stores data in a first area of a cell intended for transmission on the network, where the first area is defined by standards to store certain information (in particular, it is defined in the preferred embodiment to store virtual path identifier information, VPI). The information stored identifies the cell as a broadcast cell. In other words, the field is 'misused' to store this information. The first station further stores in a second field, also defined by the standard to store certain information (in particular, virtual channel identifier information, VCI), information which allows for expiration of the cell. Thus, this second field is also 'misused'. The cell is then transmitted onto the network, copied and forwarded out of multiple ports of each switch, until the cell 'expires'. In the described embodiment, the 'expiration information' is implemented as a hop count.

Growing community of inventors

Newark, CA, United States of America

Dilip Chatwani