Abstract: In a node having first, second, and third layers, a packet (or a cell) is mapped in the first layer. The first layer judges whether the packet (or the cell) is to be dropped at the node or to be hopped to a next node. The first layer transmits the packet to the third layer through the second layer when the first layer judges that the packet is to be dropped at the node. The first layer transmits, when the first layer judges that the packet is to be hopped to the next node, the packet to the next node by making the packet cut through the first layer.

Abstract: Each MPS adds a MAC address of an ATM network interface of the own node to an NHRP Resolution Request packet toward the next hop. Therefore, when an MPS on an egress router transmits an MPOA Cache Imposition Request packet to the MPC of the own node, the source MAC address of MAC header information is set to the MAC address of the MPS node of the previous hop.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transporting Asynchronous Transfer Mode protocol cells over an Internet Protocol backbone network is disclosed herein. ATM signaling cells are initially received at a source gateway interconnected to the IP backbone. The signaling message is converted to an H.323 message and transmitted to a controller which provides ATM to IP address translation. The corresponding IP address is received at the source gateway and ATM bearer cells of the same call as the original ATM signaling cell are encapsulated with IP headers which include the IP address to form an IP packet which keeps the ATM cells intact within the packet. The IP packet is transferred onto the IP backbone network and routed to the appropriate destination gateway where the IP packets are decapsulated to retrieve the original ATM bearer cell.

Abstract: An ATM Packet Access Gateway (ATM PAG) system manages an ATM bearer path extending between ATM endpoints participating, for example, in a VoATM call. The system includes an ATM PAG having a first ATM bearer connection termination for terminating a first bearer connection with a first ATM endpoint, and a second ATM connection termination for terminating a second bearer connection with a second ATM endpoint. A call control entity is associated with the ATM PAG and communicates call control instructions thereto. The call control instructions include instructions for logically concatenating the first and second ATM bearer connections into an active ATM bearer path extending between the first ATM endpoint and the second ATM endpoint. A Media Access Gateway (MAG) function of the ATM PAG is responsible for establishing the connections that form the ATM bearer path. An ATM switch function of the ATM PAG moves bearer traffic ATM packet payloads over the active ATM bearer path.

Abstract: Systems and methods for use in a synchronous network in which the line data communications channel and section data communications channel are combined to provide an increased bandwidth data communication channel. In one aspect of the invention, all of the bytes of the line data communications channel are combined with the bytes of the sections data communications channel to create a single data communications channel. In another aspect, some but not all of the line data communications channel bytes are moved to the sections data communications channel in order to create an increased capacity section data communications channel.

Abstract: A system operable to communicate time-division multiplexed information and asynchronous transfer mode cells includes a primary rate switching fabric operable to receive a first plurality of transport signals and to switch the first plurality of transport signals at a first level, a sub-rate switching fabric operable to receive a second plurality of transport signals carrying time-division multiplexed information and to switch the second plurality of transport signals at second level that is a more granular level than the first level, and an asynchronous transfer mode switching fabric operable to receive a third plurality of transport signals carrying asynchronous transfer mode cells, and to switch asynchronous transfer mode cells among the third plurality of transport signals carrying asynchronous transfer mode cells.

Abstract: A system and method connect a call in a broadband system using the asynchronous transfer mode protocol for switching. Calls are connected over a SONET ring that has SONET multiplexers coupled by SONET paths. The SONET multiplexers are adapted to add calls to, and drop calls from, the SONET ring. An ATM cross connect system that has ATM cross connect devices is coupled to the SONET ring. The ATM cross connect devices provide provisioned ATM connections over the SONET ring. ATM interworking units are coupled to the ATM cross connect system. The ATM interworking units interwork calls with selected ATM connections in response to control messages. The selected ATM connections are provisioned between the ATM interworking units by the ATM cross connect system over the SONET ring. A signaling processor system receives call signaling for the calls, processes the call signaling to select the ATM connections for the calls, and sends the control messages to the selected ATM interworking units.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems facilitating the aggregation or bonding of physical communications links into higher-bandwidth logical links. A novel link bonding and encapsulation protocol scheme that optimizes the efficiency of data transfer across the physical links, while still allowing for desired Quality of Service (QoS) levels to high-priority traffic, such as voice data, with low delay requirements. Data streams are divided and concurrently transported over multiple physical links that are aggregated or bonded together to form one logical link. At the receive end, the original cell streams are recovered from the bonded logical links. In one embodiment, the physical links are xDSL links transmitting and receiving signals via conventional copper twisted-pair cabling.

Abstract: A transmission unit which transports digital signals between different network systems, effectively converting the signals to resolve their differences in the specifications. A first signal interface transmits and receives first network signals. A second signal interface transmits and receives second network signals. A downward converter produces lower-level signals by converting received first and second network signals to a lower hierarchical level at which the first and second network systems are compatible with each other in terms of logical signal structure. An upward converter produces a higher-level signal by converting each given lower-level signal to an upper hierarchical level which complies with the first or second network system. A loopback unit provides loopback paths to route the lower-level signals from the downward converter to the upward converter, so that the first and second network signal will be converted in both directions.

Abstract: A substitution call control system includes an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) subscriber network of an ATM communication network. The ATM subscriber network includes a plurality of network terminators respectively connected with a plurality of subscriber terminals, and an ATM subscriber line concentrator, which accommodates VCs (Virtual Connection) to the plurality of network terminators, and is connected with a ATM switching apparatus of the ATM network through a UNI (User-Network Interface). The ATM subscriber line concentrator includes a substitution call control function to substitute for the plurality of network terminators and the subscriber terminals for a call control.

Abstract: A device for associating indexes to addresses chosen from among a greater number of values than the number of available indexes, including a memory containing indexes and respective check words corresponding to predetermined bits of the addresses associated with the indexes; a packing circuit receiving a current address and suppressing in this address bits determined by a pattern such that the suppressed bits correspond to bits of the check words, the packed address provided by the packing circuit being used to select in the read mode a memory location; and a comparator indicating that the current address corresponds to the selected memory location if the bits of the check word of the selected location are equal to the corresponding bits of the current address.

Abstract: In a method of transmitting user data over a synchronous digital communication network (SDH), the user data are packed in multiplex units by a peripheral device (10; 40). If a greater bandwidth than the capacity of the multiplex unit is required, several multiplex units are contiguously concatenated (VC-4-4c) and transmitted in a common transport module (STM-4). At the gateway to the synchronous communication network, the contiguous concatenation of the multiplex units (VC-4-4c) is converted to a virtual concatenation of multiplex units (VC-4-Nv). To adapt the number of concatenated multiplex units to the bandwidth actually required, only part of the multiplex units are filled with user data, and during the conversion, those multiplex units which are not filled with user data are omitted.

Abstract: A communications system includes a physical layer device (PLD) and a logical link device (LLD), each having respective send and receive interfaces being substantially identical to define symmetrical interfaces for the system. Accordingly, design and manufacturing is simplified compared to conventional systems. In addition, advantages are also provided in terms of loopback capability and packaging options. The PLD comprises a PLD send interface including PLD parallel information outputs, and a PLD receive interface including PLD parallel information inputs. Similarly, the LLD comprises an LLD receive interface including LLD parallel information inputs, and an LLD send interface including LLD parallel information outputs. Parallel communications channels connect the PLD information outputs to respective LLD information inputs, and connect the LLD information outputs to respective PLD information inputs.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product for dynamic bandwidth allocation in a packet switched network having a ring architecture is disclosed. The method includes monitoring an occurrence of a contention of resources at a participating node and its neighboring nodes on the network. In response to a monitored occurrence of the contention of resources, bandwidth is dynamically allocated according to a fairness algorithm. Dynamically allocating bandwidth resolves contention of resources in a fair manner within given fairness constraints while enabling a prescribed maximum utilization of available bandwidth between the nodes. Lastly, the fairness algorithm generates fairness criteria in response to states that are local to the participating node and states obtained from the neighboring nodes.

Abstract: Virtual concatenation circuitry is disclosed which provides stall need detection and an associated stall mechanism in a network element of a data communication network. The virtual concatenation circuitry in a preferred embodiment is operative to provide differential delay compensation for one or more member streams of a virtual concatenation stream. The differential delay compensation involves introducing delay into at least one of the member streams. The stall need detection aspect of the invention relates to detecting a condition under which introduction of the delay is required for alignment of member streams, for example, upon addition of a member stream to the virtual concatenation stream. Such a condition may arise, for example, if a transmission delay of an added stream is larger than that of all other member streams of the virtual concatenation stream.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus, and in particular to a data processing apparatus for use in a telecommunications system is disclosed which seeks to provide an improved technique for handling asynchronous events in a synchronous processing environment. The data processing apparatus comprises a data processing unit operable to process data from a synchronous data stream. The data processing apparatus also comprises conversion logic operable to receive an asynchronous event for processing by the data processing unit, the conversion logic being further operable to create event data representing the asynchronous event for transmission in the synchronous data stream. Providing conversion logic which converts an asynchronous event into event data transmissible within the synchronous data stream enables the data processing unit, when operating in a synchronous environment, to handle the asynchronous event in the same manner as any other synchronous data it may receive.

Abstract: A method for managing an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) cell includes transmitting an ATM cell from a server system to a broadband modem. The ATM cell is forwarded from the broadband modem to a client system.

Abstract: A microprocessor architecture (310) has a plurality of functional units arranged in a parallel manner between one or more source buses (412 and/or 414) and one or more result buses (490). At least one of the functional units within the architecture is a content addressable memory (CAM) functional unit (430) which can be issued CPU instructions via a sequencer (480) much like any other functional unit. The operation of the CAM (430) may be pipelined in one or more stages so that the CAM's throughput may be increased to accommodate the higher clock rates that are likely used within the architecture (310). One embodiment involves pipelining the CAM operation in three stages (510, 520, and 530) in order to sequentially perform data input and precharge operations, followed by match operations, and followed Finally by priority encoding and data output.

Abstract: A method and system for communicating traffic on an emulated subnetwork of a telecommunications ring having a plurality of nodes interconnected by a transmission media includes obtaining traffic at a node on the telecommunications ring. The traffic is segmented into a plurality of discrete segments. A set of broadcast cells is generated by adding an address header to each segment. The address header identifies a virtual channel dedicated to the node on the subnetwork in the telecommunications ring. The set of broadcast cells are transmitted in the virtual channel of the subnetwork and within a frame of the telecommunications ring. At each remaining node on the telecommunications ring, in response to receiving the set of broadcast cells in the virtual channel, both retransmitting and processing the broadcast cells.

Abstract: ATM is used as a transport and switching mechanism in a hybrid STM/ATM network (20), while the signaling remains normal narrowband signaling. The narrowband signaling is transported on permanent paths over ATM connections, and the narrowband speech channels are transported on ATM and switched on a “per call basis” (on-demand) through an ATM switch. The hybrid STM/ATM network has an access node (22) which services narrowband terminals and which generates a signaling message in connection with call setup. A translator (50) formats the first signaling message into ATM cells so that the first signaling message can be routed through an ATM switch (40) to a circuit switched (STM) node (30). The circuit switched node (PSTN/ISDN) sets up a physical connection for the call and generates a further signaling message for the call, the further signaling message pertaining to the physical connection.

Abstract: A wide area communication network includes at least two hub sites which are interconnected by a communication backbone Each hub site provides millimeter microwave wireless coverage in at least one sector. At least two remote sites reside in each sector and are coupled to a corresponding hub site via a point to multi point broadband millimeter microwave wireless system. The network preferably includes at least one service node which is accessible to the remote sites via the hub sites and backbone.

Abstract: A mechanism for path provisioning between an origin node (O) and a destination node (D) over BLSR networks. All ring pairs including O and D are examined and a communications path is calculated for each valid ring sequence. The calculated path is compared with the current best path until an optimal path is found. Significantly improved run-time is obtained using ring sequence reduction (RS-R) and path construction reduction (PC-R) while the quality solution set is maintained. A path provisioning tool calculates the optimal path and a Pareto curve for the BLSR network. The optimal path displays inter-ring connection configurations, the signal flows, and associated data like cost and unavailability. The Pareto curve allows various levels of assured availability to be provided while keeping the cost to a minimum.

Abstract: Multicast techniques are employed to provide host computer elements access to multiple redundant servers of a communication network in such a way that the hosts need not know which of the servers is active. In one embodiment, the servers provide a gateway function between an Ethernet LAN and an external network. The Ethernet LAN comprises one or more hosts connected to one or more switches, the switches connected to corresponding servers defining an active/standby pair. The servers are connected to an external network by corresponding active/standby links. The hosts send messages directed to a multicast address to at least one of the switches. The switches forward the messages on ports according to a multicast routing topology having been determined by performing IGMP “snooping” of messages issued from the servers. Both the active and standby servers receive the messages; and the active server sends the messages to the external network.

Abstract: A method/system for estimating cell rate is provided. The cell rate to be reported to an ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) source may be estimated using a previously calculated cell rate parameter weighted in a manner dependent upon whether a rate for the connection is high or low. An averaging parameter may be adjusted for each calculation so that for low rate connections newly measured data is more heavily weighted, and for high rate connections newly measured data is less heavily weighted. Relatively accurate and quick estimates for both high bandwidth and low bandwidth connections are achievable.

Abstract: A communication system having a multiple access segment (2,48), which comprises a plurality of end systems (6,44) and a switching node (4,46) configured such that each end system can transmit packets to the switching node and such that the switching node can transmit packets which are received by all the end systems. The switching node comprises a switch (5,47) for switching packets from the end systems to intermediate destinations within the system, and the MA segment operates in accordance with a protocol which provides a quality of service requested by the end systems for the packets transmitted over the segment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for interfacing an asynchronous network with a synchronous network and in particular for efficiently utilizing available bandwidth of a synchronous network transmit opportunity. In one embodiment asynchronous traffic arrives via an asynchronous network at a network device, such as a switch, for transmission over a synchronous network. The traffic is parsed into cells and after switching, a reassembly unit is provided for processing one or more cells buckets. Write operations occur based on an ingress pointer while read operations are controlled by an egress pointer. Upon occurrence of a transmit opportunity on the synchronous network, the entire bandwidth of the transmit opportunity is utilized by loading awaiting cells from bucket memory on to the synchronous network. Sufficient cells are stored in memory between the memory locations identified by the ingress pointer and the egress pointer to insure total utilization of transmit opportunity bandwidth.

Abstract: A method for dynamically adding a new channel to a group of virtually concatenated channels carrying traffic to a network element (NE) of a synchronous network. By this method if a delay associated with the new channel is longer than a delay associated with the group of virtually concatenated channels then traffic received along the group of virtually concatenated channels is delayed until the group of virtually concatenated channels and the new channel are time-aligned, and then the new channel is added to the group. If the delay associated with the new channel is shorter than the delay associated with the group of virtually concatenated channels then traffic in the new channel is delayed until the new channel and the group of virtually concatenated channels are time-aligned, and then the new channel will be added to the group.

Abstract: The controller 500 monitors the analog-SLIC 100, the ISDN-SLIC 200, the xDSL-SLIC 300 and the signal processor 400 and selectively produces first and second control signals, wherein the first control signal responds to at least one of the analog signals, the ISDN data signals and the xDSL signals, each of which is received by the responding SLIC, while the second control signal responds to the ATM cells received by the signal processor 400 from the ATM Core Network. Selective one of the first and second control signals is input to the signal processor 400 so that the received signals are subjected to a suitable signal process in correspondence with a content of the received signals.

Abstract: An ATM apparatus includes an ATM device, and a plurality of devices arranged in a multistage formation in which the ATM device is located at a top of the multistage structure. The ATM device and the plurality of devices employ a given interface using an address signal and a control signal, and transfer routing information including address information on at least one of the devices by using the address signal and a data signal written into a given field of an ATM cell.

Abstract: An API is provided to an optical networking apparatus to facilitate uniform access, control or interaction with its multi-protocol optical networking modules (MPONM) by its applications. Each of the MPONM has a number of function blocks having corresponding service routines. In response to an application's request to initialize a MPONM, the initialization function of the API cooperates with the function block service routines to create a data structure for the MPONM, and returns a handle of the data structure to the application. Thereafter, in response to a need to have an operation performed in a function block of a MPONM, the application makes the request with an externalized function the API associated with the function block, including with the request the handle of the data structure of the MPONM.

Abstract: A packet transfer scheme in a network system capable of realizing a high speed, large capacity inter-network communication under an internet environment. A network interconnection apparatus (router) has a memory for storing a correspondence relationship between a virtual connection used in receiving a packet from one logical network and a virtual connection used in transmitting a packet to another logical network, and a transfer at a datalink layer is carried out according to the registered correspondence relationship, to effectively form a bypass pipe capable of transferring a packet by an datalink layer level processing alone over a plurality of networks from the transmission terminal to the destination terminal, so that a high speed packet transfer between networks can be realized.

Abstract: Disclosed is a transmission apparatus for accommodating a plurality of asynchronous networks and a plurality of synchronous networks.

Abstract: This document discloses some technical details of a FIFO interface used for both cell and packet data transfer. This interface is suitable for a large number of ports. It operates at an overall throughput of 800 Mb/s for 16-bit wide data paths at 50 MHz, and 3.2 Gb/s for 32-bit wide data paths at 100 MHz. It is designed to have minimal compatibility issues with UTOPIA L2 and similar interfaces.

Abstract: This invention relates to apparatus and associated methods for providing access to and switching of information in a packet data network. More particularly, the invention is directed to a platform facilitating both packet switching capabilities and associated access interface functions in a single system.

Abstract: Narrowband subscriber terminals (40,52,58) of different narrowband networks are interconnected via a broadband network (48) that supports dissimilar signalling protocols to those maintained on the respective narrowband networks (40,52,58). A call server in a first narrowband network (40), in response to a call (100) from a first subscriber terminal (12) to a second subscriber terminal (68) in a second but different narrowband network (52), selects a phantom trunk (202) between the two networks. The phantom trunk has a unique circuit identity, which circuit identify is used in a first instance to relay to the second network an address of the second subscriber terminal (68). Then, in a second instance, the unique circuit identify is used to relay to the second network an address of the first subscriber terminal (68).

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and network element for transporting Ethernet frames over a transport SDH/SONET network. at the sending point (AP#0), receiving a Ethernet frames to be transported through an Access Point (AP#0); mapping the Ethernet frames into a single Virtual Container (VC-X #) so that the transport of an Ethernet frame is performed by a single Virtual Container (VC); assigning a label/number to every frame; and at the receiving point (AP#1), re-ordering (FR) the received frames according to the assigned sequence label/number and outputting them through an Access Point (AP#1).

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing synchronization in a data transmission system via the use of a short cyclic synchronization sequence inserted in the header of cells to be transmitted. A 2-bit sync sequence is inserted at the beginning of the header in each cell. At the receiving end, a pair of state machines search for and track the sync sequence. A feedback signal is generated that is used by the receiver to adjust its framing so as to align the received data with the boundaries of the cells. To aid in detecting the sync sequence, the two sync bits are rotated each cell cycle. To avoid confusion with data that mimics the sync sequence, the transmitter transmits idle cells containing all ones except for the 2-bit sync sequence field during the period that the receiver is attempting to sync up with the transmitter.

Abstract: At a time of transmitting a packet from a node connected with one logical network to another logical network, a control message is transmitted to a network interconnection apparatus connecting the one logical network and the another logical network, when a new node is activated beyond the network interconnection apparatus, the control message including information for a registration in the network interconnection apparatus of a correspondence relationship between a first virtual path to be used in receiving a packet from the one logical network and a second virtual path to be used in transmitting the packet to the another logical network.

Abstract: A GE-PON (Gigabit Ethernet-Passive Optical Network) system is provided that configures upstream and downstream frames on the basis of a variable-length Ethernet frame. The GE-PON system employs TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) for upstream packet transmission in a tree structure for a point-to-multipoint connection. A structure of a frame format is also provided that is capable of effectively accommodating Gigabit Ethernet traffic in the GE-PON system and a method is provided for implementing various functions such as initial ONU registration, late ONU registration, ranging, and dynamic bandwidth allocation in the GE-PON system.

Abstract: A system and method of providing to an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) access network a standard ATM interface for accessing a non standard ATM bandwidth adjustable virtual path connection established on a backbone network between a backbone source node and a backbone destination node. A standard ATM available bit rate (ABR) virtual path connection is established between the ATM access network and the backbone source node of the bandwidth adjustable virtual path connection. The available bit rate of this ABR virtual path connection is adjusted according to the adjusted bandwidth of the virtual path connection establish on the backbone node.

Abstract: A wireless, redundant, secure, real-time, network for a proprietary interactive data transfer system having a remote terminal and a host data center, such as an automated teller banking system, is disclosed. Controllers for the remote terminal and the host data center receive the proprietary language messages and packetize and encrypt the messages for sending over the best wireless carrier among the plurality of wireless carriers the controllers are connected to. The wireless control protocol monitors the communications to provide for selection of the most reliable communication carrier for any part of a transmission. Each network segment of the signal path has at least one state-controlled gate which reports the status of that signal path. Real time transmission and acknowledgment of securely packetized messages on wireless communications carriers via an object oriented coding control application provides for reliable datagram transfer independent of the reliability of any one signal path.

Abstract: A switch, switched architecture and process for transferring data through an FCAL switch is disclosed. The switch uses multiple switch control circuits each coupled to one FCAL network and all connected to a crossbar switch. The switch control circuits are coupled together by a protocol bus for coordination purposes. Local conversations can occur on each FCAL loop and crossing conversations through the switch can occur concurrently. The OPN primitive is used to establish the connection before any data is transferred thereby eliminating the need for buffer memory in the switch control circuits. The destination address of each OPN is used to address a lookup table in each switch control circuit to determine if the destination node is local. If not, the destination is looked up and a connection request made on the protocol bus. If the remote port is not busy, it sends a reply which causes both ports to establish a data path through the backplane crossbar switch.

Abstract: A system and method for enhancing the average local access speed of a telecommunications system is described. The technique involves the centralized reallocation of the transmission bandwidth of local access lines that are not being used by one or more subscribers in a geographically compact area. On the downlink side, voice, video and/or data traffic for all subscribers in a compact area is sent multiplexed from a local exchange to a set of geographically proximate subscribers optionally via a residential access unit serving the group of subscribers. Delay sensitive traffic is routed directly to the designated subscriber. Delay insensitive traffic for a subscriber travels over one or more segments of the local loop that is currently not in use by associated subscribers.

Abstract: A broadband communication system and method utilizing an asynchronous transfer mode core switch is provided. A plurality of central offices are connected to the asynchronous transfer mode network. An asynchronous transfer mode core switch connects to the asynchronous transfer mode network. The core switch is connected to each central office to allow an information provider, such as a video or data provider, to communicate with the plurality of central offices through the core switch. That is, the core switch provides numerous advantages, including a defined point of entry into the asynchronous transfer mode network.

Abstract: Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) video data is separated into first data and second data. A first signal is formed based on the first data. A second signal is formed based on the second data. The first signal is transported via a first Optical Carrier 3 (OC-3) channel. The second signal is transported via a second OC-3 channel.

Abstract: For transmission of data frames (F1, F3) between a first mobile network element (BTS1, BTS2, BTS3) and a second mobile network element (TRAU) in accordance with the ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) protocol, data frames (F1, F3) of different channels are split up in subframes (SF11, SF12, SF13; SF31, SF32, SF33), ordered and then embedded in respective minicells. Minicells (MC11, MC31) containing information of different channels are then combined into ATM cells (CELL) that are transferred between the first mobile network element (BTS1, BTS2, BTS3) and the second mobile network element (TRAU). In this way, transcoders in the second mobile network element (TRAU) can already start decoding data frames of several channels after receipt of the most urgent data which is contained in the first ATM cells (CELL).

Abstract: A Multi-Protocol Over ATM (MPOA) network being scalable so as to allow service providers to provide internetworking services to subscribers. The MPOA network is divided into virtual private networks to provide intranet and Internet services over an ATM backbone. The internetworking management system is able to assign differentiated classes of service to the virtual private networks. This permits a service provider to offer subscribers the options of different levels of service.

Abstract: A method and system for interfacing a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) protocol based network to an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network using the Private Network-Network Interface standard and providing routing and signalling interworking between the networks. The system comprises ATM aware Label Switching Routers (LSRs) at the edge of an MPLS network. Each of the ATM aware LSRs run entities according to the PNNI protocol To interconnect the PNNI entities running on the ATM aware LSRs. Abstract trunks are created from groups of CR-LSPs (Constraint-based Routed-Label Switched Paths). The creation of the CR-LSPs is dynamic and Virtual Path Connections (VPCs) and Virtual Channel Connections (VCCs) are transported on the CR-LSPs.

Abstract: The distributed architecture switch of the invention provides a scalable, flexible switching device to route telephone calls and other data (e.g., frame relay, ISDN) over an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network. The switch includes multiple service modules that can be geographically disparate and function as a single switching device. The multiple service modules are coupled to a system controller that controls the service modules and passes messages between the service modules.

Abstract: A method and system for configuring a class 5 switch of a switch network to support a virtual trunk group to an ATM edge switch of an ATM network while avoiding glare in which the switch provides one trunk group includes initiating an overflow feature of the switch to provide five overflow trunk groups. The primary trunk group of the switch is then provisioned as an outgoing primary trunk group for outgoing calls. One of the five overflow trunk groups is then provisioned as an incoming primary trunk group for incoming calls. The other four overflow trunk groups are provisioned as overflow trunk groups for outgoing and incoming calls. The outgoing primary trunk group is hunted through to seize trunks for outgoing calls and the incoming primary trunk group is hunted through to seize trunks for incoming calls. The other four overflow trunk groups are hunted through in a descending direction to seize trunks for outgoing calls after all of the trunks of the outgoing primary trunk group have been seized.