METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ONCE-ONLY PROCESSING IN A DATA NETWORK

摘要

Duplicate processing at network operators is avoided by applying once-on ly processing at operators which are adjacent to either the source or destinati on host of a data packet. An operator is adjacent to a host if there exists a path between the operator and the host containing no other operators. In one embodiment, an operator determines that it is adjacent to a host if it receives a special broadcast data packet from the host. To ensure that no other operators receive the special broadcast data packet, the adjacent operator drops the packet. In another embodiment, operators determine whether they are adjacent to identified host s by transmitting special ping packets to the hosts. If an operator receives a pi ng response from the host, the operator determines that it is adjacent to the host. To ensure that only adjacent operators receive ping responses, intervening operators drop special ping packets received from other operators.