Nortel Networks Corporation

John Philip Brule

Donald Russell Ellis

Kenneth Gary Hayward

Stephen James Harris

Jorge Fernando Cuervo-Carrillo

Hassan Mohamed Janoowalla

Caroline Dawn Bachynski

Michael C To

A method and apparatus for implementing a process having at least one process step, and for transferring data between process steps. The apparatus includes a processor and a processor-readable memory for storing first and second sets of instructions. The first set of processor-readable instructions is operable to provide at least one process module operable to implement at least one process step. The process module has at least one functional option and is operable to receive an input message including at least one input variable to be acted upon by the process module, and an identification of which of the functional options is to be rendered active during execution of the process module. The process module is further operable to provide an output message including at least one output variable produced by the process module and at least one status variable for providing a status indicator produced by the process module. The second set of processor-readable instructions is operable to cause the processor to define in the memory a form structure having a data definition portion defining input and output variables associated with the process, a data map portion defining message contents for use in the input message, and a step definition portion for associating the message contents with at least one process step.

Method and apparatus for transferring data between process modules

A method and apparatus for routing data packets via a synchronous optical (SONET) network from devices connected to a local area network to devices connected to other local area networks. At each transport node in the SONET network the data packets are unloaded from SONET payloads and requeued for transmission on an output path. This allows for easy resolution of contention between devices transmitting at the same time and avoids pre-assigning SONET channels. Source and destination address information from the data packets can be used to route the data packets through the SONET network. A time-to-live indicator can be used to find the shortest path to a destination address in a SONET ring network or any bidirectional ring network.

Gigabit ethernet interface to synchronous optical network (SONET) ring

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Spencerville, Canada

John Philip Brule