Hybrid data transport scheme over optical networks

• US 6,973,084 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2000
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tamiras Per Pte Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Jha, Pankaj K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): George, Keith M.
• Application Number:
  US09/535,717
• Time in Patent Office: 2,080 Days
• Field of Search: 370/404, 370/429, 370/442, 370/452, 370/470, 370/471, 370/473, 370/474, 370/475, 370/408, 370/465, 370/466, 370/537, 370/538, 370/539, 370/242, 370/245, 370/392, 370/401, 370/218, 370/222, 714/776, 714/781, 714/819
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0042 Ring
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/006 Fault tolerance and recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0082 Interaction of SDH with non-ATM protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0085 Support of Ethernet
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/085 for ring networks, e.g. SDH/SONET rings, self-healing rings, meashed SDH/SONET networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1617 carrying packets or ATM cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/03 Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244

Abstract

A frame configured to transmit information via a network, comprising one or more packets each comprising a header error check portion and a payload error check portion.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an interface connectable to a network, said interface configured to transmit information via a frame in said network, said frame comprising a plurality of packets, wherein at least one of said packets has (i) a header section having a plurality of identification portions, (ii) a header error portion, (iii) a label portion located before said header error portion, and (iv) a payload error portion; and

a plurality of nodes coupled to said network, wherein one or more of said plurality of nodes is an upstream node configured to transfer said frame and one or more of said plurality of nodes is a downstream node configured to determine that said upstream node is faulty based on said payload error portion.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said network comprises one of a Synchronous Optical Network and a Synchronous Digital Hierarchy fiber optic network.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein (i) said header error portion is configured to store a first error check information of said header section and (ii) said payload error portion is configured to store a second error check information of a payload area of said packet, said second error check information being independent of said header section.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said one or more downstream nodes is further configured to perform a discard of said at least one packet upon detecting an error.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of nodes is configured to determine a data error in response to said payload error portion of said at least one packet.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one packet further comprises a packet reuse portion located before said header error portion.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one packet further comprises a data identifier located before said header error portion and configured to identify a data type.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one packet further comprises a data payload.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one packet further comprises a control word configured to control said at least one packet.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one packet further comprises an identity portion configured to identify a destination node of said network.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said label portion comprises a Multi-Protocol Label Switching label portion.

12. An apparatus comprising:

one or more nodes coupled to a network, each of said nodes being configured to receive and transmit one or more of a plurality of packets, at least one of said packets comprising (i) a first portion configured to store payload error information, (ii) a header length, (iii) a second portion configured to store header error information and (iv) a label portion located before said header error information.

13. A method for transmitting a plurality of packets between two or more nodes of a network, comprising the steps of:

(A) adding a header section having a fragmentation condition identification portion, a packet type identification portion, a header error portion and a label portion located before said header error portion to each of said plurality of packets received at an upstream node of said nodes;

(B) adding a payload error portion to each of said packets without said payload error portion received at said upstream node; and

(C) transmitting said plurality of packets in a frame to a downstream node of said nodes.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said network comprises a fiber optic network.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein (i) said header error portion is configured to store a first error check information of said header section and (ii) said payload error portion is configured to store a second error check information of a payload area of said packet, said second error check information being independent of said header section.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein said downstream node is further configured to perform the step of:

discarding at least one of said packets upon detecting an error in said at least one packet.

17. A method for transmitting a plurality of packets between two or more nodes of a network, comprising the step of:

(A) adding a header section having a plurality of identification portions, a header error portion and a label portion located before said header error portion to each of said plurality of packets received at an upstream node of said nodes;

(B) adding a payload error portion to each of said packets without said payload error portion received at said upstream node;

(C) transmitting said plurality of packets in a frame to a downstream node of said nodes; and

(D) framing at least one of said packets with a Simple Data Link protocol including a packet length portion and a packet length error portion.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein each of said packets further comprises an address portion configured to store one or more addresses.