Patent ID: 6496519
Filing Date: 2002-12-17
Classification: H04J,H04Q

Abstract:
A method of communicating Ethernet frame based data over a synchronous digital network comprising the steps of:rate adapting said Ethernet frame based data by adapting an Ethernet data frame to at least one bit stream, each bit stream having a data rate which can be multiplexed into a synchronous digital network virtual container; providing at least one synchronous digital network virtual container having a data rate which is compatible with said at least one bit stream data rate formed by adapted Ethernet frame based data; and inputting said bit stream into at least one synchronous digital network virtual container; wherein said Ethernet data frame received at a higher rate than the rate at which said at least one bit stream is input into said at least one synchronous digital network virtual container, and wherein the Ethernet frame based data is received from an Ethernet frame switch, and wherein the rate at which the Ethernet data frames are received is controlled by sending signals back to said Ethernet frame switch to delay sending a further Ethernet frame until sufficient storage capacity is available to accept new Ethernet data frames for said step of rate adaptation.