A system, comprising: an ingress node configured to: receive a client signal comprising a client rate that is one of a plurality of client rates, asynchronously map the client signal into a first frame of a first rate, asynchronously map the first frame into a second frame (iXTF) of a second rate, the second frame (iXTF) comprising a first asynchronously mapped frame, and output the second frame (iXTF); an intermediate node (120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7) configured to: receive the second frame (iXTF), asynchronously map the first frame into a third frame of a third rate, transfer the third frame through at least a portion of the intermediate node (120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7), recover the first frame from the third frame, asynchronously map the first frame into a fourth frame of a fourth rate, and output the fourth frame, the fourth frame comprising a second asynchronously mapped frame, the intermediate node (120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7) not recovering the client signal or the portion of the client signal from the first frame; and an egress node configured to: receive the fourth frame, recover the first frame from the fourth frame, recover the client signal from the first frame, and output the client signal. an ingress node configured to: receive a client signal comprising a client rate that is one of a plurality of client rates, asynchronously map the client signal into a first frame of a first rate, asynchronously map the first frame into a second frame (iXTF) of a second rate, the second frame (iXTF) comprising a first asynchronously mapped frame, and output the second frame (iXTF); an intermediate node (120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7) configured to: receive the second frame (iXTF), asynchronously map the first frame into a third frame of a third rate, transfer the third frame through at least a portion of the intermediate node (120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7), recover the first frame from the third frame, asynchronously map the first frame into a fourth frame of a fourth rate, and output the fourth frame, the fourth frame comprising a second asynchronously mapped frame, the intermediate node (120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7) not recovering the client signal or the portion of the client signal from the first frame; and an egress node configured to: receive the fourth frame, recover the first frame from the fourth frame, recover the client signal from the first frame, and output the client signal. receive the second frame (iXTF), asynchronously map the first frame into a third frame of a third rate, transfer the third frame through at least a portion of the intermediate node (120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7), recover the first frame from the third frame, asynchronously map the first frame into a fourth frame of a fourth rate, and output the fourth frame, the fourth frame comprising a second asynchronously mapped frame, the intermediate node (120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7) not recovering the client signal or the portion of the client signal from the first frame; and an egress node configured to: receive the fourth frame, recover the first frame from the fourth frame, recover the client signal from the first frame, and output the client signal.