Abstract: Disclosed is a method for managing a MAC address table by a network node, the method including: defining a first running time and a second running time for a timer; and the method further including: receiving a frame; applying the first running time in the timer defined for a source of the received frame in response to a detection that an address of a destination missing in the MAC address table; and applying a second running time in the timer for MAC address of the source of the received frame and in the timer for the MAC address of the destination in response to a detection that the address of the destination is present in the MAC address table. Also disclosed is a network node, a computer program product and a communication system.

Abstract: A method, performed by a routing device including a number of communication interfaces towards a number of subnets, for generating a number of frames to determine a subnet a destination network node resides is provided, the method includes: accepting a frame; generating a successor ARP requests for each communication interface of the routing device; and transmitting generated successor ARP requests over each communication interface to respective subnets. Also a routing device and a computer program are provided to.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to a method and a system for routing data frames. The method comprising, a first router (R12 120) receiving from a first node (Node-A 121) a data frame. The first router (R12 120) replacing the source MAC address field in the data frame with a MAC address of an egress interface of the first router (R12 120). The first router (R12 120) determining, a MAC address of an ingress interface of a second router (R0 130), and replacing the destination MAC address field of the data frame with the MAC address of the ingress interface of the second router (R0 130). The first router (R12 120) sending the data frame to the second router (R0 130) which replaces the destination MAC address field with the MAC address of the ingress interface of a third router (R34 140).

Abstract: Enabling routing of traffic to/from a roaming host node roaming from a subnet of a home network to a visited network, the host node assigned an IP address in the home network, comprising configuring, in a router of the visited network, a subnet by assigning an IP address range to the subnet, which is in the same IP address range of the subnet of the home network; configuring a tunnel between a router of the home network and the router; configuring a static route to route traffic from a host node destined to the roaming host node; and configuring the router by applying a routing policy enabling the roaming host node to reply to received traffic from said host node received from a first interface and route traffic from the roaming host node through a network interconnecting the router of the visited network and the router of the home network.

Abstract: A method performed by a switch device including receiving, from a source host node, a frame including a MAC address of the source host node as a source MAC address; a MAC address of a destination host node as a destination MAC address, and information indicating a type of frame as a request frame; sending the frame towards the destination host node; generating a first reply frame including the MAC address of the source host node and information indicating a type of frame as a reply frame, the information indicating in a source MAC address field of the first reply frame including a switch ID, a sequence number equal to 0, a hop number equal to 1, and incoming port information that the switch device uses to forward at least one frame towards the source host node; and sending the generated first reply frame towards the source host node.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to a method and a system for switch data frames in a network comprising a plurality of switch devices. The method comprising: assigning to each switch device, a SW-ID, exchanging SW-IDs between switch devices; building a routing table, for each switch device; receiving a frame at a switch device. If the frame is a broadcast frame, generating separate copies of the frame; modifying a destination MAC address of each generated copy of the frame by including in the destination MAC address an indicator value; and further including the SW-ID of a corresponding switch device and based on the routing table and the cost indicating in the routing table, transmitting or forwarding each modified frame towards the switch device having the SW-ID indicated in the frame.

Abstract: A method and a system for enabling routing of traffic to/from a roaming host node roaming from a subnet of a home network to a visited network, the roaming host node assigned an IP address in the home network. The method comprises configuring, in a router of the visited network to which the roaming host node is connected, a subnet by assigning an IP address range to the subnet, the assigned IP address range being the same IP address range of the subnet of the home network; creating/configuring a tunnel between a router of the home network and the router of the visited network; and creating/configuring, in the router of the home network, a static route to route traffic destined to the roaming host node the traffic is routed through the tunnel, the IP address of the roaming host node being maintained unchanged in the subnet of the visited network.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to a method and a router device for routing data packets using virtual routing and forwarding (VRF). The method includes; configuring a first loopback interface and assigning a first VRF (VRF1); configuring a second loopback interface and assigning a second VRF (VRF2); configuring first and second GRE tunnels and assigning the tunnels to respective VRF; assigning for each GRE tunnel a source and a destination point, configuring source and destination IP addresses of both GRE tunnels to use the same routing table from a routing table of VRF1 or from a routing table of VRF2; configuring a first static to route data packets destined to a network behind VRF2; and configuring a second static route to route data packets destined to a network behind VRF1.

Abstract: There are provided methods and apparatuses for switching frames. A method includes receiving a frame from a source host node, wherein the frame includes a Layer 2 broadcast address for retrieving a MAC address of a destination host node and the frame further includes an original source MAC address of the source host node; generating a new MMSP MAC address which is associated with said original source MAC address; generating an individual MMSP unicast address including an individual switch ID; replacing the destination MAC address indicated in the frame with the individual MMSP unicast address; replacing the original MAC address indicated in the frame with said new MMSP MAC address to generate, a new frame including the individual MMSP unicast address and the new MMSP MAC address of the source the host node; and forwarding each new generated frame to every switch.

Abstract: A method performed by a switch device including receiving, from a source host node, a frame including a MAC address of the source host node as a source MAC address; a MAC address of a destination host node as a destination MAC address, and information indicating a type of frame as a request frame; sending the frame towards the destination host node; generating a first reply frame including the MAC address of the source host node and information indicating a type of frame as a reply frame, the information indicating in a source MAC address field of the first reply frame including a switch ID, a sequence number equal to 0, a hop number equal to 1, and incoming port information that the switch device uses to forward at least one frame towards the source host node; and sending the generated first reply frame towards the source host node.

Abstract: Enabling routing of traffic to/from a roaming host node roaming from a subnet of a home network to a visited network, the host node assigned an IP address in the home network, comprising configuring, in a router of the visited network, a subnet by assigning an IP address range to the subnet, which is in the same IP address range of the subnet of the home network; configuring a tunnel between a router of the home network and the router; configuring a static route to route traffic from a host node destined to the roaming host node; and configuring the router by applying a routing policy enabling the roaming host node to reply to received traffic from said host node received from a first interface and route traffic from the roaming host node through a network interconnecting the router of the visited network and the router of the home network.

Abstract: A method and a system for enabling routing of traffic to/from a roaming host node roaming from a subnet of a home network to a visited network, the roaming host node assigned an IP address in the home network. The method comprises configuring, in a router of the visited network to which the roaming host node is connected, a subnet by assigning an IP address range to the subnet, the assigned IP address range being the same IP address range of the subnet of the home network; creating/configuring a tunnel between a router of the home network and the router of the visited network; and creating/configuring, in the router of the home network, a static route to route traffic destined to the roaming host node the traffic is routed through the tunnel, the IP address of the roaming host node being maintained unchanged in the subnet of the visited network.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for managing a MAC address table by a network node, the method including: defining a first running time and a second running time for a timer; and the method further including: receiving a frame; applying the first running time in the timer defined for a source of the received frame in response to a detection that an address of a destination missing in the MAC address table; and applying a second running time in the timer for MAC address of the source of the received frame and in the timer for the MAC address of the destination in response to a detection that the address of the destination is present in the MAC address table. Also disclosed is a network node, a computer program product and a communication system.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to a method and a system for switch data frames in a network comprising a plurality of switch devices. The method comprising: assigning to each switch device, a SW-ID, exchanging SW-IDs between switch devices; building a routing table, for each switch device; receiving a frame at a switch device. If the frame is a broadcast frame, generating separate copies of the frame; modifying a destination MAC address of each generated copy of the frame by including in the destination MAC address an indicator value; and further including the SW-ID of a corresponding switch device and based on the routing table and the cost indicating in the routing table, transmitting or forwarding each modified frame towards the switch device having the SW-ID indicated in the frame.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to a method and a router device for routing data packets using virtual routing and forwarding (VRF). The method includes; configuring a first loopback interface and assigning a first VRF (VRF1); configuring a second loopback interface and assigning a second VRF (VRF2); configuring first and second GRE tunnels and assigning the tunnels to respective VRF; assigning for each GRE tunnel a source and a destination point, configuring source and destination IP addresses of both GRE tunnels to use the same routing table from a routing table of VRF1 or from a routing table of VRF2; configuring a first static to route data packets destined to a network behind VRF2; and configuring a second static route to route data packets destined to a network behind VRF1.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to a method and a network switch device for preventing the occurrence of loops in a network topology comprising a plurality of network switch devices, each switch device is assigned a unique SW-ID. The method comprises exchanging each SW-ID between all switch devices; and building, for each switch device, a routing table. The method further comprises when receiving, at a first switch device, a data frame from a second switch device that includes an SS-ID, assigned to the second switch device, and the data frame is received at a port of the first switch device, if, according to the routing table of the first switch device, the assigned SW-ID for this port is different from the SS-ID included in the data frame, discarding the data frame, otherwise, processing forward the data frame.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to methods, a system and routers. One method includes assigning, to each router, at least one zone-ID; building a zone table based on the zone ID; exchanging each zone table between all routers in the network; building, for each router, a routing table; receiving, at a source router, a data packet from a host belonging to a zone of the source router; including a destination address of a host belonging to a network having a network ID; determining which destination zone-ID the destination address or the network ID is associated with; adding or including the destination zone-ID to the data packet; and sending the data packet towards a destination router having the assigned destination zone-ID indicated in the data packet.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to methods, a source host device, an edge router device and a hop router device for routing data packets in a network topology. A method includes sending a request to a server for requesting an autonomous system number of an autonomous system to which a destination host belongs; receiving a response including the autonomous system number; inserting the received number between layer 2 and layer 3 of the data packet and sending the data packet towards the autonomous system hosting the IP address of the destination host. When a router belonging to the autonomous system receives the packet, the number is removed and forwarded to the destination host.

Abstract: There are provided methods and apparatuses for switching frames. A method includes receiving a frame from a source host node, wherein the frame includes a Layer 2 broadcast address for retrieving a MAC address of a destination host node and the frame further includes an original source MAC address of the source host node; generating a new MMSP MAC address which is associated with said original source MAC address; generating an individual MMSP unicast address including an individual switch ID; replacing the destination MAC address indicated in the frame with the individual MMSP unicast address; replacing the original MAC address indicated in the frame with said new MMSP MAC address to generate, a new frame including the individual MMSP unicast address and the new MMSP MAC address of the source the host node; and forwarding each new generated frame to every switch.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to methods and routers. One method includes: receiving a data packet from a source host router connected to a source host, said packet comprising a source IP address of the source host and a destination IP address of a destination host, the data packet being received on an interface of the source edge router identified by a virtual private network identity, VRF-ID; extracting, from a configuration information on said interface, of the source edge router, a zone-identity, zone-ID, of a destination edge router to which a destination host router is associated, wherein the destination host router is connected to the destination host, adding the zone-ID and the VRF-ID at Layer 2.5 of the data packet; and sending the data packet towards the destination edge router having the assigned zone-ID.