US 12,113,766 B2
Address resolution protocol request resolution
Kenyon James Hensler, Acworth, GA (US)
Assigned to Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC, Redmond, WA (US)
Filed by Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC, Redmond, WA (US)
Filed on Dec. 13, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/065,575.
Prior Publication US 2024/0195777 A1, Jun. 13, 2024
Int. Cl. H04L 61/103 (2022.01); H04L 101/622 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 61/103 (2013.01) [H04L 2101/622 (2022.05)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for resolving ARP (address resolution protocol) requests, the method comprising:
at an ARP listening entity of a computer network, receiving an ARP request for a MAC (media access control) address of a destination entity having a specified IP (internet protocol) address, the ARP request received from a requesting entity, wherein a design of the computer network prevents broadcast of the ARP request to the destination entity;
transmitting an ARP response to the requesting entity, the ARP response specifying a response MAC address to facilitate transmission, by the requesting entity, of a data packet targeting the response MAC address,
wherein the response MAC address is a predefined placeholder MAC address, and wherein prior to receipt of the data packet at the destination entity, the specified IP address is associated with an actual MAC address of the destination entity according to an IP-to-MAC mapping; and
causing the data packet to be delivered to the destination entity with the actual MAC address of the destination entity in lieu of the predefined placeholder MAC address.