Hybrid units for a communication network

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United States of America Patent

PATENT NO 5491692
SERIAL NO

08173719

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ATTORNEY / AGENT: (SPONSORED)

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Abstract

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A communication network consists of end units (EUs) and distribution units (DUs) coupled together by links which may include local area networks (LANs). The units maintain neighbor tables by sending out Hello messages which indicate the unit type and contain the network service access point (NSAP) IDs or addresses of the units. Data messages (packets) mainly originate and end at EUs. An EU maintains only partial routing information about neighbors, while the DUs collectively maintain complete information about all NSAPs. So if an EU wants to send a packet to an EU which is not a neighbour (and sometimes even if it is), it need merely send it to a neighboring DU; that DU, along with the other DUs, must find a route to the destination EU. This invention provides a hybrid unit (HU), which acts as a DU to EUs but as an EU to DUs. The HU provides DU-like message forwarding but only on a local basis within a subnetwork of EUs and HUs.

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddress
ENTERASYS NETWORKS INC50 MINUTEMAN ROAD ANDOVER MA 01810

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Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Gunner, Christopher W Harvard, MA 11 325
Harper, John A Golfe Juan, FR 8 229
Shand, Ian M C Surrey, GB 4 108

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