VIRTUAL LOCAL AREA NETWORK IDENTIFIER SUBSTITUTION AS TIME TO LIVE METHOD

摘要

An apparatus comprising a node that uses a set of determined virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier (VIDs) to provide a hop limit for a packet forwarded by the node in a network. Also disclosed is a network component comprising a receiver that receives a packet comprising a VID that belongs to a determined set of ordered VIDs, a processor that substitutes the VID in the packet from the set of ordered VIDs and maps the VID to a next hop or instead drops the VID if the VID is a last ordered VID of the ordered VIDs, and a transmitter that forwards the packet comprising the substituted VID to the mapped next hop.