US Patent No: 6,697,339
Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000
High availability spanning tree with rapid reconfiguration with alternate port selection
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Feb 24, 2004
Issued date -
Jan 27, 2003
filing date -
10/351,709
serial no -
In Force
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Abstract
An improvement to the spanning tree protocol provides for identifying a port on the bridge in the alternate port role which qualifies as a candidate root port. Upon an event causing a topology change resulting in a particular port changing from the candidate root port role to the root port role and the previous root port changing to the designated port role, the process allows the previous root port to have the forwarding state without requiring transition through the listening and forwarding states. Qualification as a suitable candidate root port according is based upon propagating a message from the root bridge, such as a bridge protocol data unit ("BPDU") message, carrying the identifier of the port on the root bridge from which the message originates. Logic in the bridges is able to identify the branch of the tree from which the message originates, and to select the candidate root port in response to the branch information. Thus, the port on a different branch than the root is a suitable candidate root port. A port on the same branch as the root is suitable if it has recently received (such as within one Hello time in the standard Spanning Tree) updated configuration information from its upstream bridge (Designated Bridge on the port), such as by a configuration BPDU.
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First Claim
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International Classification(s)
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Cited Art
| Patent Info | (Count) | # Cites | Year |
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| 6,044,087 Interface for a highly integrated ethernet network element | 24 | 1997 | |
| 6,044,418 Method and apparatus for dynamically resizing queues utilizing programmable partition pointers | 33 | 1997 | |
| 6,049,528 Trunking ethernet-compatible networks | 157 | 1997 | |
| 6,052,738 Method and apparatus in a packet routing switch for controlling access at different data rates to a shared memory | 31 | 1997 | |
| 6,081,512 Spanning tree support in a high performance network device | 136 | 1997 | |
| 6,081,522 System and method for a multi-layer network element | 101 | 1997 | |
| 6,088,356 System and method for a multi-layer network element | 155 | 1997 | |
| 6,094,435 System and method for a quality of service in a multi-layer network element | 163 | 1997 | |
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| 6,246,680 Highly integrated multi-layer switch element architecture | 67 | 1997 | |
| 6,061,362 Interface for a highly integrated ethernet network element | 30 | 1999 | |
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| 6,188,694 Shared spanning tree protocol | 143 | 1997 | |
| 6,032,194 Method and apparatus for rapidly reconfiguring computer networks | 182 | 1997 | |
| 6,202,114 Spanning tree with fast link-failure convergence | 77 | 1997 | |
| 6,304,575 Token ring spanning tree protocol | 83 | 1998 | |
| 6,246,669 Method and system for optimizing connection set-up operations in a high speed digital network | 67 | 1998 | |
| 6,388,995 Method and apparatus for rapidly reconfiguring computers networks executing the spanning tree algorithm | 66 | 1999 | |
| 6,535,491 Method and apparatus for rapidly reconfiguring computer networks using a spanning tree algorithm | 64 | 1999 | |
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| 5,790,808 Active topology maintenance in reconfiguring bridged local area networks with state transition with forgetting interval | 62 | 1995 | |
| 6,262,977 High availability spanning tree with rapid reconfiguration | 48 | 1998 | |
| 6,298,456 Runtime detection of network loops | 12 | 1998 | |
| 6,330,229 Spanning tree with rapid forwarding database updates | 72 | 1998 | |
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| 5,309,437 Bridge-like internet protocol router | 289 | 1990 | |
| 5,649,109 Apparatus and method for maintaining forwarding information in a bridge or router using multiple free queues having associated free space sizes | 50 | 1992 | |
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| 5,606,669 System for managing topology of a network in spanning tree data structure by maintaining link table and parent table in each network node | 226 | 1995 | |
| 6,052,737 Computer system, program product and method for dynamically optimizing a communication protocol for supporting more users | 22 | 1998 | |
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| 6,519,231 Method and apparatus providing a spanning tree protocol for a data communications network having a multi-link trunk | 39 | 1999 | |
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| 5,734,824 Apparatus and method for discovering a topology for local area networks connected via transparent bridges | 91 | 1996 | |
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| 5,761,435 Multiprocessor bridge having storage for spanning tree operation mode information indicating whether each port of the bridge is operable under spanning tree protocol | 73 | 1995 | |
Patent Citation Ranking
Maintenance Fees
| Fee | Large entity fee | small entity fee | micro entity fee | due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.5 Year Payment | $7400.00 | $3700.00 | $1850.00 | Aug 24, 2015 |
| Fee | Large entity fee | small entity fee | micro entity fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surcharge - 11.5 year - Late payment within 6 months | $160.00 | $80.00 | $40.00 |
| Surcharge after expiration - Late payment is unavoidable | $700.00 | $350.00 | $175.00 |
| Surcharge after expiration - Late payment is unintentional | $1,640.00 | $820.00 | $410.00 |