Control Apparatus Distributing Broadcast Packets Across Representative Nodes

The patent segments the broadcast packet forwarding function by dividing it across multiple representative nodes within each domain instead of using a single representative node. This segmentation distributes the forwarding load and prevents bandwidth strain on any single node while maintaining manageable control complexity through structured path calculation for each segment.

The patent merges multiple forwarding paths by combining several representative nodes and their associated ports into a coordinated forwarding system. Instead of relying on a single port, multiple ports across different representative nodes work together to distribute broadcast traffic, maintaining simple forwarding decisions at each node while reducing overall bandwidth strain through combined capacity.

The patent implements dynamic path selection where multiple forwarding paths are generated and representative nodes are determined based on current network conditions and domain configurations. The system dynamically calculates appropriate forwarding paths through controller coordination, allowing flexible adaptation to changing network states while managing control complexity through automated algorithms.