Patent ID: 8014420
Filing Date: 2011-09-06
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) system for interconnecting Internet Protocol (IP) network regions, the MPLS system comprising edge nodes for connecting said IP network regions to the MPLS system and core nodes for interconnecting said edge nodes, said edge nodes including a label switching type packet forwarding apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving packets in plural communication protocols and comprising: a plurality of input ports for receiving packets in said plurality of communication protocols; a plurality of output ports for transmitting packets in said plurality of communication protocols; and a processing unit for performing a header converting process of each input packet received by one of said input ports in accordance with an output routing information of a specific layer in the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model determined upon receiving the packet, and for outputting the input packet as one of output packets to one of said output ports specified by output port identification information determined upon receiving the packet, wherein said label switching type packet forwarding apparatus is provided with a routing information table including a plurality of table entries each defining a combination of routing information of a plurality of layers in the OSI reference model, wherein said input ports include a first group of ports to be coupled to communication lines for said Internet Protocol (IP) network regions and a second group of ports to be coupled to communication lines for said core nodes, and said output ports include a third group of ports to be coupled to communication lines for said IP network regions and a fourth group of ports to be coupled to communication lines for said core nodes, and wherein said processing unit is configured so as to determine each of said output routing information of the specific layer in the OSI reference model and said output port identification information by referring to said routing information table, in correspondence with the combination of routing information of said plurality of layers in the OSI reference model.