System and method for providing a multiple-protocol crossconnect

• US 20050220059A1
• Filed: 06/01/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: DelRegno, Dick, Bencheck, Michael U., McDysan, David E., Kotrla, Scott R., Turlington, Matthew W., Drake, William, Hardin, Ross S., Bengston, Lee D., Schell, Richard C., Chiu, Howard
• Application Number:
  US10/858,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20050220059A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/337
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

System and method for providing a layer 2 switch in the access network that switches based upon one or more carrier tags identifying customer traffic. Customer traffic conforming to any variety of different layer 1 or layer 2 protocols may be encapsulated and identified according to carrier tag values. The layer 2 switch may determine how to handle the traffic by interpreting and manipulating the carrier tag values. The layer 2 switch may be capable of switching TDM input traffic to either TDM or packet output traffic, and switching packetized input traffic to either TDM or packet output traffic.

Claims

1. A method for processing a TDM communication, comprising:

receiving a first TDM communication;

determining whether the first TDM communication should be output as a packetized flow;

converting the first TDM communication to a first packetized flow based on the determining; and

outputting the first packetized flow.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first TDM communication is reconstructed from a second packetized flow.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second packetized flow is unpacked from a second TDM communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting includes reassembling the first packetized flow as a second TDM communication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step is based on the channel of the TDM communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting includes routing the first packetized flow based upon a carrier tag.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the carrier tag comprises one or more tunnel labels.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the carrier tag comprises a pseudowire label.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the carrier tag comprises one or more virtual local-area network tags.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is based at least in part on a carrier tag.

11. A method for processing a packetized flow, the method comprising:

receiving a packetized flow;

determining whether the packetized flow should be output as a TDM communication;

converting the packetized flow to a first TDM communication based on the determining; and

outputting the first TDM communication.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first TDM communication is unpacked from a second TDM communication.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the packetized flow is converted from a second TDM communication.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining step is based on an identifier associated with the packetized flow.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining step is based on an identifier included with the packetized flow.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the outputting step includes routing the first packetized flow based upon a carrier tag.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the carrier tag comprises one or more tunnel labels.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the carrier tag comprises a pseudowire label.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the carrier tag comprises one or more virtual local-area network tags.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining step is based at least in part on a carrier tag.

21. A method for processing a packetized flow, the method comprising:

receiving a packetized flow from a customer, the packetized flow including a carrier tag;

determining an output port associated with the packetized flow based on the carrier tag; and

sending the packetized flow to a service edge via the output port.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the output port carries another packetized flow at substantially the same time as the sending.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein sending the packetized flow to a service edge includes aggregating the packetized flow with another packetized flow.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising converting the packetized flow to a TDM communication based on the carrier tag.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising sending the carrier tag to the customer.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the packetized flow is sent to the service edge with another carrier tag.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the carrier tag comprises one or more tunnel labels.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the carrier tag comprises a pseudowire label.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the carrier tag comprises one or more virtual local-area network tags.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the determining step is based at least in part on a carrier tag.

31. A method for processing a packetized flow, the method comprising:

receiving a packetized flow from a customer, the packetized flow including a first carrier tag;

determining whether the packetized flow should be output as a TDM communication;

converting the packetized flow to a first TDM communication based on the determining; and

outputting the first TDM communication.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first TDM communication is unpacked from a second TDM communication.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the packetized flow is converted from a second TDM communication.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the determining step is based on the first carrier tag associated with the packetized flow.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the determining step is based on the first carrier tag included with the packetized flow.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the outputting includes routing the packetized flow based upon the first carrier tag.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the first carrier tag comprises one or more tunnel labels.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein the first carrier tag comprises a pseudowire label.

39. The method of claim 31, wherein the first carrier tag comprises one or more virtual local-area network tags.

40. The method of claim 31, wherein the determining is based at least in part on the first carrier tag.

41. A method for processing a TDM communication, the method comprising:

receiving a first TDM communication;

determining whether the first TDM communication should be output as a packetized flow;

switching the first TDM communication to a second TDM communication based on the determining; and

outputting the second. TDM communication.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the first TDM communication is reconstructed from a packetized flow.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the determining step is based on a carrier tag associated with the packetized flow.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the determining step is based on a carrier tag included with the packetized flow.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the outputting includes routing the second TDM communication based upon a carrier tag associated with the first TDM communication.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the carrier tag comprises one or more tunnel labels.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the carrier tag comprises a pseudowire label.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the carrier tag comprises one or more virtual local-area network tags.

49. The method of claim 41, wherein the determining is based at least in part on a carrier tag.

50. A method for aggregating communication traffic, the method comprising:

receiving a TDM communication;

receiving a first packetized flow;

converting the TDM communication to a second packetized flow;

combining the first packetized flow and the second packetized flow into a third packetized flow; and

sending the third packetized flow.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the converting includes packaging the TDM communication in a format suitable for packet transport.

52. A method for aggregating communication traffic, the method comprising:

receiving a first TDM communication;

receiving a first packetized flow;

converting the first packetized flow to a second TDM communication;

combining the first TDM communication and the second TDM communication into a third TDM communication; and

sending the third TDM communication.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the converting includes packaging the packetized flow in a format suitable for TDM transport.

54. A method for aggregating communication traffic, the method comprising:

receiving a TDM communication;

receiving a first packetized flow;

converting the TDM communication to a second packetized flow;

combining the first packetized flow and the second packetized flow into a third packetized flow;

converting the third packetized flow to a second TDM communication; and

sending the second packetized flow.

55. An apparatus for processing TDM communication and packetized communication, the apparatus comprising:

a TDM communication switch fabric;

a communication converter coupled to the TDM communication switch fabric, the communication converter configured to convert among TDM communication and packetized communication; and

a packetized communication switch fabric coupled to the communication converter.

56. The apparatus of claim 55, further comprising a communication controller coupled to at least one of the communication converter, the TDM communication switch fabric, and the packetized communication switch fabric;

wherein the communication controller is configured to receive information related to processing TDM communication and packetized communication.