Cisco Technology, Inc.

Scott A Emery

James P Rivers

Stewart Findlater

Gregory Lee DeJager

David H Yen

Navindra Yadav

Pauline Shuen

Gnanaprakasam Pandian

Linda T Cheng

Murali Duvvury

Bradley D Erickson

In one embodiment, a subnet-scoped multicast packet is received on an interface of a forwarding device that is connected to a host device of a subnet of a forwarding domain. The received subnet-scoped multicast packet is transmitted from one or more other interfaces of the forwarding device that are connected to one or more other host devices of the subnet. The received subnet-scoped multicast packet is also encapsulated with an additional header. The encapsulated subnet-scoped multicast packet is forwarded from the forwarding device to an intermediate router which routes the encapsulated subnet-scoped multicast packet to one or more other forwarding devices configured to decapsulate the encapsulated subnet-scoped multicast packet and transmit the decapsulated subnet-scoped multicast packet to one or more connected host devices of an additional portion of the subnet.

Subnet scoped multicast/broadcast packet distribution over a routed network

Subnet scoped multicast/broadcast packet distribution mechanism over a routed network

In one embodiment, receiving a data packet in a data forwarding domain, encapsulating a header to the received data packet, and routing the encapsulated data packet in the data forwarding domain over a distribution tree are provided.

Subnet scoped multicast / broadcast packet distribution mechanism over a routed network

In one embodiment, detecting data traffic from a host device in a data forwarding domain, injecting a host route associated with the detected data traffic, and updating a forwarding table associated with the host route are provided.

Network routing to the socket

The network switches and computer readable mediums of the present invention allocate port assignments based on load, that is, the amount of data being forwarded through each port in the group. The load balancing of the present invention is preferably dynamic, that is, packets from a given stream may be forwarded on different ports depending upon each port's current utilization. When a new port is selected to transmit a particular packet stream, it is done so that the packets cannot be forwarded out of order. This is preferably accomplished by ensuring passage of a period of time sufficient to allow all packets of a given stream to be forwarded by a port before a different port is allocated to transmit packets of the same stream. The invention may be used in a variety of different network environments and speeds, including 10Base-T, 100Base-T, and Gigabit Ethernet, and other network environments.

Port aggregation load balancing

A cross stack port aggregation method and system associates a destination index with a received packet when it is provided to devices in the stack. Each device utilizes the destination index to access a descriptor identifying ports in the device included in the port aggregation group. An index generated from packet address data is used to select a bit in a group mask unique to each port.

Defining link aggregation across a stack

Provided are methods, apparatuses and systems for balancing the load of data transmissions through a port aggregation. The methods and apparatuses of the present invention allocate port assignments based on load, that is, the amount of data being forwarded through each port in the group. The load balancing of the present invention is preferably dynamic, that is, packets from a given stream may be forwarded on different ports depending upon each port's current utilization. When a new port is selected to transmit a particular packet stream, it is done so that the packets cannot be forwarded out of order. This is preferably accomplished by ensuring passage of a period of time sufficient to allow all packets of a given stream to be forwarded by a port before a different port is allocated to transmit packets of the same stream. The invention may be used in a variety of different network environments and speeds, including 10Base-T, 100Base-T, and Gigabit Ethernet, and other network environments.

Data is stored in a memory in a manner which eliminates dead time which occurs when the number of words in a page which are read-out are insufficient to provide enough time for simultaneously opening the next page. If the length of a frame being stored in memory is not an exact integral multiple of words in a page, a penultimate (or earlier) page is written with fewer words than the page can hold. This allows additional words to be placed into the last page, sufficient to provide every page used for storing a frame at least a number of words equal to the number of clock cycles needed for opening a next page.

Multi-bank memory access method and apparatus

A memory system reducing or eliminating the effects of DRAM page-opening delays or row access delays is provided. The system uses DRAM and fast memory such as SRAM. SRAM is used to store the initial portions of data from data blocks and corresponding portions of DRAM are used to store the terminal portions of data from the data blocks. When access to a block of data is requested, DRAM row access procedures are initiated. During the delay period, while DRAM row access procedures are occurring, the initial portion of data from the requested block is read-out from SRAM. By about the time the initial data read-out from SRAM is completed, DRAM row access procedures are completed and the remaining portion of the data is read-out from DRAM.

Growing community of inventors

Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Scott A Emery