Alcatel Canada Inc.

Alcatel-lucent Canada Inc.

Thomas Tadsen

Radu Ungureanu

Blair Mackiewich

Yuming Wen

A virtual LAN (VLAN) has a number of segments connected by a connection-based network. A method for providing differentiated service to frames having different user priorities in a VLAN carries frames associated with different user priorities over different channels in the connection-based network. The connection-based network may be an ATM network in which channels are specified by a connection identifier which may comprise a VPI/VCI pair. A bridge according to the invention has one or more bridge ports. Each of the bridge ports may be associated with a VPI. The bridge ports may each be associated with a plurality of service interfaces each capable of terminating a connection in the connection-based network. The service interfaces may each be associated with a VCI. Priority tagged frames received at the bridge port are mapped to service interfaces on the basis of their user priorities.

User priority mapping in bridged VLANS

A bridged virtual LAN (VLAN) has a number of segments connected by a connection-based network such as an ATM network. Multicast data originating in a first one of the segments is carried to two or more other segments by a point-to-multipoint virtual channel configured in the connection-based network. A separate point-to-point virtual channel may be provided for other data and bidirectional control signals. The segments may be ethernet segments with data flow over the point-to-multipoint virtual channel being unidirectional. Ethernet frames may be carried by a protocol such as AAL5.

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Burnaby, Canada

Thomas Tadsen