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. 24, 2004
Filed:
Apr. 14, 2000
Edward Glen Britton, Chapel Hill, NC (US);
Michael G. Fitzpatrick, Raleigh, NC (US);
Jeffrey Douglas Haggar, Holly Springs, NC (US);
Maurice Isrel, Jr., Raleigh, NC (US);
Barton Clark Vashaw, Apex, NC (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
The invention ensures that a single and consistent reply is made to ARP request in a system of connected IP networks. In each host, the first adapter A to become active is designated as being in an arbitrary first physical network (PNET ). For each subsequent adapter B to become active on a host, the host sends a packet over one of the adapters (A) of each network already known to the host with a hop count of one. If the packet is received over adapter B, it is known that adapters A and B are in the same physical network. If this occurs, adapter B is marked as being in the same network PNET as adapter A. If the packet is not received over adapter B then B is in a different physical network as A. In this event, adapter B is marked as being in a new network PNET . When adapter A becomes inactive, if there are other active adapters in the physical network to which A belongs, then one of the remaining adapters B in that physical network is designated to have the responsibility for replying to ARP requests for A. A gratuitous ARP advertisement is transmitted into the network mapping IP-A with MAC-B. When adapter A again becomes active, adapter A will re-assume ownership of ARP replies for IP address A.