Abstract: Upon initialization, a VPC is set up between edge nodes. A control processor of each node creates an IP address/VPC mapping table using IP routing information and an address mapping table mapping correspondence between IP addresses and ATM addresses and supplied by a network management system. A gateway assigns a VCC to each packet input to the network. A sending-side edge node inputs the packet to the VPC corresponding to its destination by referring to the IP address/VPC mapping table. A transit node performs packet switching over VP. A receiving-side edge node transfers each packet to the gateway corresponding to its destination. If a series of packets meet a predetermined condition in a given edge node, its control processor sends VCC information to input interfaces of the edge node so that the packets are switched by an ATM switch in the edge node without intervention of the control processor.

Abstract: In a system in which communication is performed among a plurality of devices having a mechanism of disassembling a packet into ATM cells to send them and a plurality of devices having a mechanism of assembling the received ATM cells into the packet, a frame is prevented from being lost owing to change of virtual connections in the course of transferring the frame, improving reliability of the communication on the packet level.

Abstract: This invention provides a network management equipment and a packet switching equipment which eliminate a connection setup delay time, reduce a delay and a delay variation involved in data transfer, and effectively perform connectionless data flow processing in a large data network. The network is divided into a connection-oriented core network and a plurality of connectionless access networks connected to the core network where a plurality of connections (called permanent virtual route (PVR)) are set up among a plurality of edge nodes. The network management equipment selects one route from a plurality of PVRs for connectionless data flow received from one of the access networks and transfers data along the PVR.

Abstract: A router apparatus 5 is provided with an ATM switch, an IP controller for performing routing control as a controller for layer 3, plural kinds of interfaces which are individually provided to plural transmission paths in which various communications are performed, and a cell multiplexing/demultiplexing unit, and manages the cell communications between respective parts on the basis of identification information. The input packet is subjected to IP processing in an interface to be converted to a cell in a common format, and the cell is serially multiplexed with a cell from another interface on a cell basis, and transmitted to the ATM switch at the cell multiplexing/demultiplexing unit. Each interface and each cell multiplexing/demultiplexing unit sets and switches the identification information for the header portion of the packet and the cell to be communicated by using a table in which the corresponding relationship of the identification information is registered.

Abstract: An LAN interface unit and an ATM switch unit cooperate to perform traffic control. A QoS unit monitors circumstances of an input buffer from a multiplexer of the ATM switch by means of a system controller and when an overflow of the input buffer is expected, the LAN interface unit of the multiplexer is instructed to perform traffic control. The LAN interface unit performs traffic control such as limitation of ATM cells inputted in the ATM switch.

Abstract: Policing method and policing circuit for parallelly conducting a plurality of policing which are dependent on policing items in the policing for defining the traffic of an asynchronous transfer mode network are provided. A plurality of traffic monitor circuits 11 parallelly and independently conduct the traffic monitoring of a plurality of items for the input cell for the communication service to be provided by the asynchronous transfer mode network. Each monitor circuit monitors only the violation of the traffic independently and outputs the result. A total determination circuit determines whether to tag, discard or pass the input cell in accordance with a determination rule prescribed for the communication service based on a CLP value contained in a header of the input cell and the monitor result parallelly obtained from the respective monitor circuits to conduct the policing.

Abstract: Policing method and policing circuit for parallelly conducting a plurality of policing which are dependent on policing items in the policing for defining the traffic of an asynchronous transfer mode network are provided. A plurality of traffic monitor circuits 11 parallelly and independently conduct the traffic monitoring of a plurality of items for the input cell for the communication service to be provided by the asynchronous transfer mode network. Each monitor circuit monitors only the violation of the traffic independently and outputs the result. A total determination circuit determines whether to tag, discard or pass the input cell in accordance with a determination rule prescribed for the communication service based on a CLP value contained in a header of the input cell and the monitor result parallelly obtained from the respective monitor circuits to conduct the policing.