Ciena Corporation

Tom Q Wellbaum

Daniel E Klausmeier

Data frames are converted to a format suitable for transparent, flexible concatenated transport such that a network element not supporting flexible concatenation may transparently pass the data frames. Flexible concatenation involves nonstandard data frames such as an STS-or an STS-Nc in which the time slots do not occupy rigidly defined contiguous time slots. In transparent flexible concatenation, the pointer from the parent time slot is used for each of the child time slots and the concatenation identifier is set to indicate no concatenation. In this way, the concatenated data appears to be a series of conventional STS-s such that pointer processing may be successfully accomplished even by a network element not capable of handling non-standard concatenations. A downstream receive framer reconstructs the original STS-Nc based on the N STS-s and a concatenation table the contents of which are shared between the transmit framer and the downstream receive framer.

Transparent flexible concatenation

Switch frames are arbitrarily concatenated to allow for any available time slots to be used for carrying concatenated switch frames. Methods and apparatus transport switch frames in available time slots, and keep track of which time slots correspond to a group of concatenated switch frames. The switch frames are transported through the switch and synchronized on the outgoing side of the switch so that arbitrarily concatenated switch frames are synchronized with each other.

Growing community of inventors

Beaverton, OR, United States of America

Tom Q Wellbaum