Patent ID: 6108708
Filing Date: 2000-08-22
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
In a connection-oriented communications network including first and second user terminals and first and second interlinked network nodes, a method comprising the steps of:a) sending a normal signaling packet from the first user terminal to the network, said normal signaling packet containing a destination address of the second user terminal;b) receiving the normal signaling packet at the first network node, determining a first virtual path identifier (VPI) according to the destination address in the normal signaling packet, inserting the first VPI into the received normal signaling packet, and forwarding the normal signaling packet to the second network node;c) receiving the normal signaling packet at the second network node, determining a second VPI according to the destination address in the normal signaling packet, adding the second VPI to the first VPI in the normal signaling packet to produce a source route, and forwarding the normal signaling packet to the second user terminal;d) responsive to the normal signaling packet from the second network node, sending an acknowledgment packet from the second user terminal back to the first user terminal via said second and first network nodes, the acknowledgment packet containing said source route;e) receiving the acknowledgment packet at said first user terminal and storing the source route contained therein into a source route table;f) selecting, at the first user terminal, an initial VPI and an initial virtual channel identifier (VCI) from a copy of a network resource, sending a fast signaling packet from the first user terminal, the fast signaling packet containing the stored source route, and the initial VPI and the initial VCI;g) receiving the fast signaling packet at the first network node, selecting a first VCI according to the first VPI in the source route of the packet, mapping the initial VPI and the initial VCI in the packet to the first VPI and the selected first VCI, rewriting the initial VCI in the packet with the first VCI, and forwarding the fast signaling packet to the second network node as a new fast signaling packet; andh) receiving the new fast signaling packet at the second network node, selecting a second VCI according to the second VPI in the source route of the packet, mapping the first VPI and the first VCI in the new fast signaling packet to the second VPI and the second VCI, rewriting the first VCI in the new fast signaling packet with the second VCI, and forwarding the new fast signaling packet to the second user terminal.