Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Verbindung von lokalen Netzwerken mit Weitbereichsnetzwerken

• Main Authors: BRYANT, DAVID BARRETT, RALEIGH, N.C. 27606, US, BROOCKMAN, ERIC CHARLES, RALEIGH, N.C. 27615, US, HUYNH, LAP THIET, RALEIGH, N.C. 27613, US, MCKINNON, JOSEPH L., RALEIGH, N.C. 27615, US
• Format: Patent
• Language: German
• Published: 21.11.1996
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; ELECTRICITY; PHYSICS; TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHICCOMMUNICATION

The method and apparatus of the present invention may be utilized to interconnect multiple local area networks (16,26,36) to a data processing network (10) including both multiple network nodes (12) having routing and functional capability within the data processing network and multiple endpoint nodes (14) having only local address capability, while minimizing the amount of routing information which must be maintained within the data processing network. A concentrator node (20,30) is established for interconnection between each of the multiple local area networks and the data processing network. The concentrator node includes a network node interface (22,32) having routing and functional capability for an associated local area network and an endpoint node interface (24,34) having local address capability. When interconnected between a local area network and a selected network node within the data processing network, the concentrator node emulates a network node within the local area network while appearing as an endpoint node within the data processing network. The concentrator node maintains routing information for communication between the local area network and the data processing network in two segments. The first segment details the route between the local area network and the concentrator node while a second segment details the route between the concentrator node and a node within the data processing network.