Patent ID: 8914509
Filing Date: 2014-12-16
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. In an optical networking apparatus, a method of operation comprising: invoking a registration function by a first service routine of a first interface block, protocol processing block, or coding block selected from a plurality of interface blocks, protocol processing blocks, and coding blocks selectively employed in combination with each other to service data transmission and receipt in accordance with a selected one of a number of frame-based protocols, wherein the plurality of interface blocks, protocol processing blocks, and coding blocks are included in a multi-protocol optical networking module (MPONM), wherein the first service routine invokes the registration function upon execution by a processor of the optical networking apparatus, wherein the invoked registration function is associated with a MPONM application programming interface (API), the invoked registration function to register a first pair of configuration specification delimiters that delimit configuration specifications applicable to the first selected interface block, protocol processing block, or coding block of an MPONM in a configuration specification input set, wherein the invoking of the registration function is in response to a request by a networking application of the optical networking apparatus, wherein the request identifies the MPONM including the first selected interface block, protocol processing block, or coding block by providing a handle of a device driver handling a connecting interface through which the MPONM is coupled to a bus, wherein the bus couples each of a plurality of MPONMs to each other in the networking apparatus; extracting first configuration specifications by a configuration function of the MPONM API, upon execution by the processor, by processing a provided configuration specification input set, wherein extracting comprises extracting first configuration specifications applicable to the first selected interface block, protocol processing block, or coding block, based at least in part on the first registered pair of configuration specification delimiters of the first selected interface block, protocol processing block, or coding block; providing the first extracted configuration specifications by the configuration function of the MPONM API, upon execution by the processor, wherein providing comprises providing the first extracted configuration specifications to the first service routine; and configuring the first selected interface block, protocol processing block, or coding block of the MPONM by the first service routine, upon execution by the processor, wherein configuring comprises configuring the first selected interface block, protocol processing block, or coding block of the MPONM in accordance with the provided configuration specifications.