International Business Machines Corporation

Norman Eugene Cox

Sonia Kiang Rovner

Kenneth J Christensen

Jim Philip Ervin

Richard Colbert Matlack, Jr

Russell Eugene Gardo

Stephen W Piucci

A method is implemented by which a Logical IP subnetwork attached (LIS) Next Hop Resolution Protocol (NHRP) client or an Emulated LAN (ELAN) subnetwork attached NHRP client in an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network can send data to a destination LAN Emulation Client (LEC) on a different ISO layer-3 subnetwork via a data-direct Virtual Channel Connection. The method enables such a IP subnetwork attached NHRP clients to obtain the ATM address corresponding to the destination station by using the vendor-private extension within an NHRP packet. The NHRP client uses the ATM address to build a data-direct VCC over which it unicasts data bound for the destination station. The NHRP client appears to the destination LEC as any other LEC on its ELAN would appear.

Next hop resolution protocol cut-through to LANs

A route switching layer is provided to end stations on a local area network (LAN) segment between the network layer protocol stack and the LAN adapter device driver. The route switching layer reads the network layer protocol header in a data frame queued for transmission. If the data frame is destined for a station on a different LAN segment, the route switching layer compares the network layer address with entries stored in a local address table. If a match occurs, the route switching layer inserts the corresponding data link layer address from the table in the data link header that is appended to the data frame. The data frame is then transmitted directly from source to destination end station by a hardware switch. If an address table match does not occur, the source station route switching layer sends a query to a route server device for the data link layer address corresponding to the network layer address of the destination end station. The route server sends a response to the source station route switching layer which then stores the destination address information in the local address table.

Method and system for distributing network routing functions to local area network stations

Growing community of inventors

Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Norman Eugene Cox