Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

3com Corporation

Hewlett-packard Company

Richard H Blanchette

James Scott Hiscock

Anil Gupta

Pierre Trudeau

Joris Johannes Maria Wils

Yannick Koehler

Gilbert Moineau

Roger D Sands

Stephane Laroche

Jocelyn Le Sage

Martin Bouchard

Fréderic D Mouveaux

Yves Mongeau

Frederic D Mouveaux

A method of controller election includes, upon failure of a master controller within a team comprising a number of controllers, automatically promoting another of the number controllers to serve as an elected master controller and designating the elected master controller as a new master controller if it is determined that the failure of the master controller is not temporary.

Controller election

Managing network traffic includes associating a wireless client device with a wireless access point comprising at least one processor with said wireless access point, identifying a network to which said wireless client device is assigned; and with said wireless access point, assigning said wireless client device to one of a plurality of Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) implemented within said network according to a protocol for balancing network traffic across the plurality of VLANs.

Managing network traffic

A method for mobile computer networking on a distributed network includes, with a network element of a local network, establishing a connection to a mobile client device, determining a home network of the mobile client device without using a logical address of a packet of data from the mobile client device, and forwarding network traffic from the mobile client device to a home network of the mobile client device in response to determining that the home network is not the local network.

Mobile network traffic management

To enable a network apparatus to detect L3 roaming users and to take appropriate forwarding actions, L3 knowledge is introduced inside an L2 bridge forwarding table in the network apparatus. As a client moves from a subnet associated with a first network element to a subnet associated with the network apparatus, a determination is made regarding whether the client is roaming by evaluating a source IP address within a L3 packet header within a first frame received at the network apparatus. If, as a result of the evaluating step, it is determined that the client is roaming, the L2 bridge forwarding table is configured to include a source MAC address of the client together with information identifying a destination interface for use in directing client data traffic back towards the subnet associated with the first network element.

Network apparatus enabling roaming across subnets

To enable devices to detect L3 roaming users and to take appropriate forwarding actions, L3 knowledge is introduced inside a bridge in a non-intrusive way. In particular, as a client moves from a subnet associated with a first network element to a subnet associated with a second network element, a determination is made regarding whether the client is roaming. This is done by evaluating a source IP address within a L3 packet header within a first frame received at the second network element. If, as a result of the evaluating step, it is determined that the client is roaming, an L2 bridge forwarding table in the second network element is configured to include a source MAC address of the client together with information identifying at least a destination interface for use in directing client data traffic back towards the subnet associated with the first network element. The first frame is then forwarded. In one embodiment, the traffic is directed back towards the subnet associated with the first network element via a GRE encapsulation tunnel, although any convenient tunneling mechanism can be used. According to another feature, given information cached at the foreign access point is used to enable the roaming client to continue to seamlessly receive inbound traffic prior to or during the configuration of the L2 bridge forwarding table (i.e., before any outbound traffic is actually sent from the client).

Seamless roaming across wireless subnets using source address forwarding

An aggregate link system and process is provided with cooperating link aggregation member devices defining a link aggregation. An connected devices is provided. Network links connect the connected devices to each of the link aggregation member devices. One or more of the network links define an aggregate link. A coordinating system is provided between the link aggregation member devices in the link aggregation of cooperating devices. The coordinating system is defined by the connected devices and the network links. The coordinating system determines a packet type received from the link aggregation. If the packet is one of predetermined packet types, the coordinating system either sends the packet back to the originating link aggregation member device or to the other link aggregation member devices.

Link aggregation repeater process

An aggregate link system is provided with cooperating link aggregation member devices defining a link aggregation. An end device is provided. Network links connect the end device to each of the link aggregation member devices. One or more of the network links define an aggregate link. A coordinating system is provided between the link aggregation member devices in the link aggregation of cooperating devices. The coordinating system is defined by the end device and the network links. The coordinating system determines a packet type received from the link aggregation. If the packet is one of predetermined packet types, the coordinating system either sends the packet back to the originating link aggregation member device or to the other link aggregation member devices.

Growing community of inventors

Hopkinton, MA, United States of America

Richard H Blanchette