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:
Mar. 10, 2015
Filed:
Nov. 21, 2012
Rockstar Bidco, Lp, Richardson, TX (US);
Robert Friskney, Essex, GB;
Nigel Bragg, Cambridgeshire, GB;
Simon Parry, Essex, GB;
Peter Ashwood-Smith, Quebec, CA;
David Allen, Ontario, CA;
Simon Brueckheimer, London, GB;
Rockstar Consortium US LP, Plano, TX (US);
Abstract
The invention relates to enabling differential forwarding in address-based carrier networks such as Ethernet networks. There is described a method of and connection controller for establishing connections () in a frame-based communications network comprising nodes (-and) such as Ethernet switches. The connections are established by configuring, in various of the nodes, mappings for forwarding data frames, such as Ethernet frames. The mappings are from a combination of a) a destination (or source) address corresponding to a destination (or source) node () of the connection and b) an identifier, such as a VLAN tag. The mappings are to selected output ports of the various nodes. By using the combination of destination (or source) address AND identifier, the mappings enable data frames belonging to different connections () to be forwarded differentially (ie forwarded on different output ports) at a node () despite the different connections having the same destination node. This enables flexibility in routing connections and the ability to perform traffic engineering.