Cisco Technology, Inc.

Scott Allan Bales

Frank Gerard Bordonaro

Uwe Sellentin

Paul Aloysius Schmidt

John P Fussell

Arunkumar Bhushappagala Thippeswamy

Arun G Khanna

Mark Denny

Bernie P Pearce

John Lautmann

Andrew Joseph Mead

Paul A Schmidt

A method for communicating data is provided that includes receiving a plurality of bits associated with a communications flow and determining whether one or more samples included in the flow should be suppressed. The method also includes suppressing a selected one or more of the samples if the selected samples are similar to previously received samples. In a more particular embodiment, the method also includes positioning unique samples that are included in the flow in a super-frame to be communicated to a next destination. Additionally, the method may include receiving the unique samples and evaluating the unique samples in order to restore a plurality of bits associated with the communications flow.

System and method for implementing dynamic suppression and recreation of suppressed data in a communications environment

A method for communicating data is provided that includes receiving a plurality of bits associated with a communications flow and inspecting the bits. The method also includes determining whether one or more samples included in the flow should be suppressed. A portion of the bits is converted to 1 bits such that they are designated for later suppression. A selected one or more of the samples are suppressed if the selected samples are designated for suppression.

System and method for determining whether to dynamically suppress data in a communications environment

A technique improves the interaction between a backup remote data link switch (DLSw) device coupled to a remote: subnetwork having an Ethernet switch and a local DLSw device coupled to a local subnetwork of a DLSw network. When the backup remote DLSw device accepts a DLSw peer connection with the local DLSw device, the remote device uses configuration information to determine which end stations it can reach through the peer connection. The remote DLSw device then generates one or more test frames having the medium access control (MAC) addresses of those reachable stations as source MAC addresses. The test frames are sent through the Ethernet switch to force the switch to immediately update its forwarding table with the port identifier of the port receiving the incoming frames, along with the source MAC addresses of those frames.

Technique for improving the interaction between data link switch backup peer devices and ethernet switches

A new directory service is established for a peer router receiving a data packet from an end station on a local area network connected to a port of the peer router, the peer router hereinafter being referred to as the source router. The data packet is addressed to a destination address. The source router determines that the data packet is to be encapsulated as an encapsulated packet, and the encapsulated packet routed by a peer-to-peer protocol to a destination router. The destination router then transmits the packet onto a local area network to the destination address. The source router locates the proper peer destination router by use of a database. The database is maintained on a server, where the database has entries for destination address, and an entry for a particular destination address gives the address of a peer router capable of routing a packet to that particular destination address. The database is populated by peer routers updating the database with information concerning the destination address which the peer routers can reach. The database on the server is interrogated by the source router to learn the address of a destination peer router, and an encapsulated packet is then transmitted onto a connectionless network for transmission to the destination router. The peer-to-peer routing protocol may be DLSw protocol. The database may be maintained in accordance with the X.500 directory standard. The database may be interrogated using the lightweight data access protocol (LDAP).

Directory services caching for network peer to peer service locator

A transparently-bridged wide area network connecting Ethernet/IEEE 802.3-based local area networks uses redundant proxy devices one each LAN for internetwork communications. The proxy devices on a given LAN, implemented as data link switching (DLSw) devices, mediate for proxy services by generation and maintenance of a token between the proxy devices capable of providing the corresponding proxy services. In the case of transfer of a data frame, a proxy device having received a frame from an end station determines whether any other proxy device possess a token authorizing the establishment of a circuit connection via a wide area network for transfer of the frame to another local area network. If the proxy devices determines that another proxy device possess the token, the proxy device lacking the token drops the frame. If the proxy device possesses the token, then the frame can be transferred via the wide area network. Multiple tokens may be used for distributing distinct proxy services between multiple proxy devices. In addition, each proxy device lacking a token monitors for the periodic presence of a &ldquo;heart-beat&rdquo; indicating the continued presence of tokens, enabling generation of new tokens if existing tokens are lost. Hence, redundant DLSw-type proxy devices may be implemented on a local area network while maintaining a stable and a robust communications system.

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Durham, NC, United States of America

Scott Allan Bales