Patent ID: 6463056
Filing Date: 2002-10-08
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
A switching system comprising:A) a plurality of switching nodes each of which contains line cards with ports for connections between the system and one or more external networks; B) Layer 3 applications in the line cards that exchange data arranged in one or more external network protocols between the switching system and the external network; C) an internal network interconnecting the switching nodes for conveying switched telecommunications data between them; D) a host computer that includes a Layer 5 software application which exercises supervisory control over the nodes; E) a host network linking the host computer and the switching nodes for supervisory and informational communications; F) a programmable Layer 4 software application in each switching node that performs call-processing operations defined by a system operator, the Layer 4 application having a protocol software component that interprets between protocols of the switching system and the external network including means for checking messages to ensure that the messages are in a generic format, or are in a format of a receiving external system, or are in a format of the Layer 5 application, whereby the protocol software component interprets between protocols of the switching system and the external network; and G) means for communicating and passing information between: 1. the protocol software component in the Layer 4 application and the Layer 5 application; and 2. the protocol software component and other objects in the Layer 4 application.