Patent ID: 8023410

Claim:
A communications method comprising: transmitting an aggregation message from a first node to a second node, the aggregation message comprising: a first aggregate identifier which uniquely identifies a first packet aggregate configured to communicate a first set of packets in a first direction between the first node and the second node; a first aggregation direction indicator indicating the first direction; a second aggregate identifier which uniquely identifies a second packet aggregate; a second aggregation direction indicator indicating a second direction which is different from the first direction, wherein the second packet aggregate is configured to communicate a second set of packets in the second direction between the first node and the second node; a first aggregate classifier that defines first constituent packets that are members of the first set of packets and defines the first packet aggregate as a target aggregate for said constituent packets; a second aggregate classifier that defines second constituent packets that are members of the second set of packets and defines the second packet aggregate as a target aggregate for said second constituent packets; information identifying at least two sets of packets of the first packet aggregate; and information identifying at least two additional sets of packets of the second packet aggregate.