Abstract: An interface through which a host may conduct LAN-emulated communications over an ATM network. In a preferred embodiment, the interface provides communication through multiple ATM ports, each of which is represented by a network interface card (NIC) and an associated emulated MAC entity which includes a LAN emulation client (LEC). Even though multiple LECs may be associated with a host, only a single, common MAC address is used to identify the host. The invention provides several additional advantages including the ability to distribute traffic or share loads across multiple LECs, the ability to scale the bandwidth provided to a particular host, and the ability to provide one or more levels of redundancy with respect to host-ATM network communications.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 16, 1997
Date of Patent:
March 21, 2000
Assignee:
Olicom A/S
Inventors:
Lars Povlsen, Erling Skjoldborg, Tomasz Jerzy Goldman