Telecommunications network and a packet header using local node identifier information to designate routing information
First Claim
1. A telecommunications network comprising at least one node operable to receive and process data packets possessing a packet header for a data packet to be transported via said at least one node, wherein said at least one node has a multi-access link connected to several other nodes via a single output port, said multi-access link connecting said at least one node to each of said several other nodes without any intervening nodes, and wherein the packet header comprises a routing information field for containing data associated with the at least one node, wherein the data associated with the at least one node is local node identifier data which is only locally valid to identify a neighbouring node of the at least one node through which the data packet is intended to be transported.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A packet header for a data packet (14) includes a routing information field for containing at least one local node identifier data which identifies one or more nodes through which the data packet is intended to be transported. The packet header further contains a pointer field containing a pointer (PTR), which pointer indicates the position of individual local node identifier data in the routing information field. The pointer is operable to be incremented at each node so as to indicate the position of data, which identifies the node to which the data packet is to be subsequently transported.
13 Citations
28 Claims
- 1. A telecommunications network comprising at least one node operable to receive and process data packets possessing a packet header for a data packet to be transported via said at least one node, wherein said at least one node has a multi-access link connected to several other nodes via a single output port, said multi-access link connecting said at least one node to each of said several other nodes without any intervening nodes, and wherein the packet header comprises a routing information field for containing data associated with the at least one node, wherein the data associated with the at least one node is local node identifier data which is only locally valid to identify a neighbouring node of the at least one node through which the data packet is intended to be transported.
- 12. A first node in a telecommunication network, said network comprising said first node as well as several other nodes and wherein said first node comprises an output port connecting said first node to a multi-access link connected to said several other nodes of said telecommunication network, wherein said multi-access link connects said first node to each of said several other nodes without any intervening nodes, said first node further comprising a router function operable to receive and process data packets possessing a packet header for a data packet to be transported via said first node, and wherein the packet header comprises a routing information field for containing data associated with the first node, wherein the data associated with the first node is local node identifier data which is only locally valid to identify a neighbouring node of the first node through which the data packet is intended to be transported.
-
14. A node in a telecommunication network, said node being connected via a single output port to a multi-access link which connects said node to each of several other nodes without any intervening nodes and said node being operable to receive and process a data packet with a header containing routing information containing local node identifier data which is only locally valid to identify a neighboring node as the next node through which the data packet is intended to be transported, said first node comprising:
-
means for transporting the headed data packet via said node in accordance with the routing information such that the node transports the data packet to the neighboring node identified by the local node identifier data; and means for replacing the local node identifier data with additional routing information and for using the additional routing information to route the data packet to the intended next node via an alternative route when the node is unable to transport said headed data packet directly to said next node.
-
- 15. A method of transporting a data packet via at least one node of a network, wherein said at least one node has a multi-access link connected to several other nodes via a single output port, said multi-access link connecting said at least one node to each of said several other nodes without any intervening nodes, the method comprising the steps of providing a header of said data packet with a routing information field for containing data associated with the at least one node, and transporting said data packet in accordance with said routing information, wherein said data is local node identifier data which is only locally valid to identify a neighboring node of the at least one node through which the data packet is intended to be transported.
Specification