A METHOD OF DATA DELIVERY ACROSS A NETWORK FABRIC IN A ROUTER OR ETHERNET BRIDGE

摘要

The invention provides an Ethernet bridge or router comprising a network fabric adapted to provide interconnectivity to a plurality of Ethernet ports, each of the Ethernet ports being adapted to receive and/or transmit Ethernet frames, and wherein the Ethernet bridge or router further comprises an encapsulator connected to receive Ethernet Protocol Data Units from the Ethernet ports, wherein the encapsulator is operable to generate a Fabric Protocol Data Unit from a received Ethernet Protocol Data Unit, the Fabric Protocol Data Unit comprising a header portion, and a payload portion which comprises the Ethernet Protocol Data Unit concerned, and wherein the encapsulator is operable to transform Ethernet destination address information from the Ethernet Protocol Data Unit into a routing definition for the network fabric, and to include this routing definition in the header portion of the Fabric Protocol Data Unit. Also provided is a method of data delivery across a network.