Patent ID: 6490622
Filing Date: 2002-12-03
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
A node device, comprising:an interface for a virtual connection-oriented network; a first message exchange unit configured to exchange a first message which contains a first identifier for provisionally identifying a virtual connection between said node device and a neighboring node device, at a time of setting up the virtual connection through the interface, the first identifier being a common identifier to be used in provisionally identifying the virtual connection at both of said node device and the neighboring node device; a management unit configured to manage a correspondence between the first identifier and a second identifier having a larger information size than the first identifier for formally identifying the virtual connection between said node device and the neighboring node device, the second identifier being another common identifier to be used in formally identifying the virtual connection at both of said node device and the neighboring node device; and a second message exchange unit configured to transmit or receive a second message which contains the second identifier in a form that enables establishing of a correspondence between the first identifier and the second identifier, through another virtual connection different from the virtual connection to be set up; wherein the management unit manages the virtual connection by the second identifier and makes the first identifier available for other virtual connections, after the virtual connection is set up by the exchange of the first message by the first message exchange unit and the second identifier is shared between said node device and the neighboring node device by exchange of the second message by the second message exchange unit.