Importance

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Abstract

A packet data communication network employs a local switch, router or bridge device functioning to transfer packets between segments of a larger network. When packets enter this device, an address translation is performed to generate local source and destination addresses which are much shorter than the globally-unique addresses contained in the packet as dictated by the protocol. These local addresses are inserted in a header that is added to the packet, in addition to any header already contained in the packet. This added header travels with the packet through the local switch, router or bridge device, but then is stripped off before the packet is sent out onto another network segment. The added header may also contain other information, such as a local name for the source and destination segment (link), as well as status information that is locally useful, but not part of the packet protocol and not necessary for transmission with the packet throughout the network. Local congestion information, results of address translations, and end-of-message information, are examples of such status information.

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First Claim