Abstract: A method of routing data through a router in a communications network, the method comprising receiving one or more data packets, each packet having a respective destination address and applying a lookup algorithm to each packet, said lookup algorithm being arranged to determine a respective route along which each packet is to be transmitted towards its destination address by searching an associated hierarchical data structure containing routing information for each packet. The method comprising forwarding each packet for transmission to its respective destination address, wherein said lookup algorithm comprises an adaptive learning component that is configured to dynamically identify an optimum starting position for searching within said hierarchical data structure, for each of the data packets, based on the results of one or more earlier searches.

Abstract: Network node comprising input equipment, switching equipment and output equipment, the input equipment is arranged to be capable of packetizing time division multiplexed (TDM) traffic flows, the switching equipment is arranged to be capable of routing the packetized data from the input equipment to the output equipment, and the output equipment is arranged to be capable of reassembling the flows into time division multiplexed format, wherein the input equipment is also arranged to be capable of causing the data frequency of the packetized data sent to the switching equipment to be substantially equal to a predetermined data frequency.

Abstract: An ingress TDM network segment (101) and an egress TDM network segment (102) are connected by a packet-switched network (40). An ingress inter-working function (20) receives a TDM traffic flow (11) and an ingress data clock (12). A first mapping function (21) maps the TDM data (11) into first data containers using an ingress reference clock (22). The first mapping function conveys a difference between the ingress data clock (12) and the ingress reference clock (22) by a rate of justification operations to the mapped data within the first data containers. A second mapping function (23) maps the first data containers into second data containers using an ingress line clock (24). The mapping conveys a difference between the ingress reference clock (22) and the ingress line clock (24) by a rate of justification operations to the mapped data within the second data containers. Re-mapping is performed at boundaries between packet sub-networks (41, 42, 43).

Abstract: An ingress TDM network segment (101) and an egress TDM network segment (102) are connected by a packet-switched network (40). An ingress inter-working function (20) receives a TDM traffic flow (11) and an ingress data clock (12). A first mapping function (21) maps the TDM data (11) into first data containers using an ingress reference clock (22). The first mapping function conveys a difference between the ingress data clock (12) and the ingress reference clock (22) by a rate of justification operations to the mapped data within the first data containers. A second mapping function (23) maps the first data containers into second data containers using an ingress line clock (24). The mapping conveys a difference between the ingress reference clock (22) and the ingress line clock (24) by a rate of justification operations to the mapped data within the second data containers. Re-mapping is performed at boundaries between packet sub-networks (41, 42, 43).

Abstract: A method of routing data through a router in a communications network, the method comprising receiving one or more data packets, each packet having a respective destination address and applying a lookup algorithm to each packet, said lookup algorithm being arranged to determine a respective route along which each packet is to be transmitted towards its destination address by searching an associated hierarchical data structure containing routing information for each packet. The method comprising forwarding each packet for transmission to its respective destination address, wherein said lookup algorithm comprises an adaptive learning component that is configured to dynamically identify an optimum starting position for searching within said hierarchical data structure, for each of the data packets, based on the results of one or more earlier searches.

Abstract: Network node comprising input equipment, switching equipment and output equipment, the input equipment is arranged to be capable of packetising time division multiplexed (TDM) traffic flows, the switching equipment is arranged to be capable of routing the packetised data from the input equipment to the output equipment, and the output equipment is arranged to be capable of reassembling the flows into time division multiplexed format, wherein the input equipment is also arranged to be capable of causing the data frequency of the packetized data sent to the switching equipment to be substantially equal to a predetermined data frequency.