The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 11, 2003
Filed:
Jan. 12, 1999
Nortel Networks Limited, St. Laurent, CA;
Abstract
An enhanced spanning tree protocol for data communications networks having a multi-link trunk. In one embodiment, configuration messages are transmitted from boxes of the data communications network. In one embodiment, the configuration messages that are transmitted through all physical links of the same logical link, or multi-link trunk, include the same port Identifier. A network device that receives the configuration messages is therefore able to identify all of the physical links of a logical link. The enhanced spanning tree protocol according to one embodiment of the present invention considers all of the physical links of a multi-link trunk as a single logical link when identifying and removing loops in the data communications network to form a spanning tree.