Patent ID: 6587431
Filing Date: 2003-07-01
Classification: H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
A forwarding node capable of operation within a router that transfers digital data with a plurality of other routers within a packet routing system, the forwarding node comprising:a load balancing device that, when input with individual packets of a data stream, reads a logical output port corresponding to the data stream, assigns each of the individual packets of the data stream to a physical output port within the logical output port based upon physical link criteria, encapsulates the individual packets with a first routing header that comprises a data stream identifier, a packet sequence identifier, and a physical output port identifier, and outputs the packets to their assigned physical output ports; and a packet sorting device that, when input with encapsulated packets, re-orders the packets into the proper order with use of a sorting algorithm utilizing the packet sequence identifiers and outputs a data stream corresponding to the re-ordered packets.