Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.p.

Duncan Smith

David Murray Banks

Anthony J Wiley

A network layer bridge for connection between network segments with different data link layer addressing. The bridge has includes: plurality of ports, each for connection to different network segments, wherein a first port is for connection to a first network segment and a second port for connection to respective first and second network segment. The bridge also has a memory for storing network layer addresses, for nodes together with corresponding port identifiers and data link layer addresses, and the memory is adapted to store data link layer addresses of more than one type; the bridge also has a means for and a unit for discovering corresponding port identifier and data link layer address for a network layer address. For which these are not already known. The bridge is adapted to forwards a message from a first node connected through the first network segment to the first port to a second node connected through the second -network segment to the second port when the corresponding port identifier and data link level address for both the first and second nodes are stored in the memory; the message being addressed with the network layer address of the second node, and the network layer bridge directs directing the message through the corresponding port to the corresponding data link level address for the second node.

Method and apparatus for bridging between networks

A network layer bridge includes: plurality of ports for connection to different network segments, a first port and a second port for connection to respective first and second network segments; a memory for storing network layer addresses for nodes with corresponding port identifiers and data link layer addresses, and data link layer addresses of more than one type; and a unit for discovering corresponding port identifier and data link layer address for a network layer address. The bridge forwards a message from a first node to a second node when corresponding port identifiers and data link level addresses for both first and second nodes are stored in the memory; the message being addressed with the network layer address of the second node, and the network layer bridge directing the message through the corresponding port to the corresponding data link level address for the second node.

Growing community of inventors

Bristol, United Kingdom

Duncan Smith