Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (publ)

Per Helén

Clarence Ammervik

Johan Lindström

Johan LINDSTRÖM

It is disclosed a method and a detector capable of resolving unicast flooding in a layer 2 broadcast domain. The method is performed in a detector having a medium access control (MAC) address. The detector receives a first flooded packet having a destination MAC address differing from the detector's MAC address. The detector sends a message to a node in the layer 2 broadcast domain, wherein the type of the node is determined based on the destination MAC address of the first flooded packet and/or based on whether a destination Internet protocol (IP) address of the first flooded packet is an address within the layer 2 broadcast domain. It is advantageous that the message is adapted to trigger the node to announce its MAC address within the layer 2 broadcast domain, causing the unicast flooding to be resolved, by which consumption of available bandwidth is reduced.

Method and detector for resolving unicast flooding

A routing device and a further routing device of a switched network form a virtual router and are addressable by a virtual Media Access Control (MAC) address. The further routing device receives at least one data frame and sends, to the routing device, a request instructing the routing device to send an alert message for conveying information about the virtual MAC address throughout the switched network.

Managing data frames in switched networks

A method and a routing device () for managing data frames as well as a method and a further routing device () for managing data frames are disclosed. The routing device () is addressable by a virtual Media Access Control address, 'virtual MAC address', for assignment to routers. The routing device () sends () a data frame comprising a source MAC address field, which includes a unicast MAC address of the routing device (). The routing device () sends () a message including information about the virtual MAC address. The routing device () is configured to send, in a periodic manner, a periodic message for conveying information about the virtual MAC address throughout the switched network (). In another embodiment, the further routing device () receives () at least one data frame. The further routing device () sends () a request which instructs the routing device () to send an alert message for conveying information about the virtual MAC address. Corresponding computer programs and carriers therefor are also disclosed.

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Saltsjö-Boo, Sweden

Per Helén