Patent ID: 6731637
Filing Date: 2004-05-04
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
An apparatus for releasing a cut-through connection in a network node when traffic on the cut-through connection becomes smaller than a fixed value by monitoring traffic of each of cut-through connections established in the network node; the apparatus comprising:a timer having an up/down counter assigned to the cut-through connection and outputting a time-out notification signal when a count value of the up/down counter has attained to a time-out threshold value determined corresponding to the cut-through connection, the up/down counter being reset when the cut-through connection is established, being incremented according to clock pulses having a cell cycle predetermined for the cut-through connection and being decremented when a cell of the cut-through connection arrives to the network node; a connection-release control unit for controlling a cell processing unit to release the cut-through connection according to the time-out notification signal; and a connection-release message generator for transmitting a connection-release requesting message of the cut-through connection towards a next node according to the time-out notification signal.