Juniper Networks, Inc.
Selective media access control (MAC) learning and purging to reduce flooding and replication in a network

Abstract:

A network device may select a candidate entry to remove from a media access control (MAC) table maintained at the network device based on determining that the MAC table is exhausted. The candidate entry may include an identifier for a first virtual local area network (VLAN) associated with the candidate entry. The network device may receive a packet from a source node having a MAC address that does not appear in the MAC table, where the packet may include an identifier for a second VLAN in which the source node is a member. The network device may replace the candidate entry in the MAC table with a new entry corresponding to the source node based on determining that the second VLAN is associated with a greater number of ports than the first VLAN.