Selective MAC address learning
Methods, systems, and apparatus for selective MAC address learning are disclosed. In one aspect, multiple different packets are received by a telecommunications device. The multiple different packets include different source MAC addresses. For each of the multiple different packets, a distribution type is determined. The distribution type is one of a one-to-one distribution type or a one-to-many distribution type. Based on the determined distribution type of the particular packet, a forwarding table of the telecommunications device is selectively updated. When the particular packet has the one-to-many distribution type, a source MAC address that is included in the particular packet is not stored in the forwarding table. When the particular packet has the one-to-one distribution type, the source MAC address that is included in the particular packet is stored in the forwarding table.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a telecommunications device, multiple different packets that include different source MAC addresses;
determining a distribution type of each of the multiple different packets, wherein the distribution type is one of a one-to-one distribution type or a one-to-many distribution type, and determined based on a destination address that is specified in each of the multiple different packets; and
selectively updating a forwarding table of the telecommunications device based on the determined distribution type of each particular packet, including:
not storing a source MAC address that specifies a source of the particular packet when the particular packet has the one-to-many distribution type; and
storing the source MAC address that specifies the source of the particular packet when the particular packet has (i) the one-to-one distribution type and (ii) the destination address specifying that the telecommunications device is a destination of the particular packet.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the multiple different packets comprises receiving the multiple different packets that are transmitted over a same V-LAN.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the telecommunications device is an Optical Network Unit (ONU).
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the telecommunications device is an Optical Line Termination (OLT).
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the distribution type of each of the multiple different packets includes:
identifying unicast packets that have known destination MAC addresses; and
determining that the unicast packets are of the one-to-one distribution type.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein packets of the one-to-many distribution type include broadcast packets and multicast packets.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forwarding table of the telecommunications device is a Content Addressable Memory (CAM) forwarding table.
8. A telecommunications device, comprising:
a communications interface that communicatively couples the telecommunications device with a plurality of network devices;
a memory structure storing machine executable instructions; and
one or more processors that execute the machine executable instructions and perform operations including:
receiving multiple different packets that include different source MAC addresses;
determining a distribution type of each of the multiple different packets, wherein the distribution type is one of a one-to-one distribution type or a one-to-many distribution type, and determined based on a destination address that is specified in each of the multiple different packets; and
selectively updating a forwarding table of the telecommunications device based on the determined distribution type of each particular packet, including:
not storing a source MAC address that specifies a source of the particular packet when the particular packet has the one-to-many distribution type; and
storing the source MAC address that specifies the source of the particular packet when the particular packet has (i) the one-to-one distribution type and (ii) the destination address specifying that the telecommunications device is a destination of the particular packet.
9. The device of claim 8 , wherein receiving the multiple different packets comprises receiving the multiple different packets that are transmitted over a same V-LAN.
10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the telecommunications device is an Optical Network Unit (ONU).
11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the telecommunications device is an Optical Line Termination (OLT).
12. The device of claim 8 , wherein determining the distribution type of each of the multiple different packets includes:
identifying unicast packets that have known destination MAC addresses; and
determining that the unicast packets are of the one-to-one distribution type.
13. The device of claim 8 , wherein packets of the one-to-many distribution type include broadcast packets and multicast packets.
14. The device of claim 8 , wherein the forwarding table of the telecommunications device is a Content Addressable Memory (CAM) forwarding table.
15. A system, comprising:
a plurality of network devices, each network device configured to send packets to a telecommunications device; and
the telecommunications device configured to:
receive multiple different packets that include different source MAC addresses;
determine a distribution type of each of the multiple different packets, wherein the distribution type is one of a one-to-one distribution type or a one-to-many distribution type, and determined based on a destination address that is specified in each of the multiple different packets; and
selectively update a forwarding table of the telecommunications device based on the determined distribution type of each particular packet, including:
not storing a source MAC address that specifies a source of the particular packet when the particular packet has the one-to-many distribution type; and
storing the source MAC address that specifies the source of the particular packet when the particular packet has (i) the one-to-one distribution type and (ii) the destination address specifying that the telecommunications device is a destination of the particular packet.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein receiving the multiple different packets comprises receiving the multiple different packets that are transmitted over a same V-LAN.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the telecommunications device is an Optical Network Unit (ONU).
18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the telecommunications device is an Optical Line Termination (OLT).
19. The system of claim 15 , wherein determining the distribution type of each of the multiple different packets includes:
identifying unicast packets that have known destination MAC addresses; and
determining that the unicast packets are of the one-to-one distribution type.
20. The system of claim 15 , wherein packets of the one-to-many distribution type include broadcast packets and multicast packets.