Patent ID: 7515593

Claim:
A method for efficiently transmitting GFP-encapsulated client data frames from a local transport interface and at least one local port associated therewith across a SONET/SDH transport network to a remote transport interface and at least one remote port associated therewith, said remote transport interface having a buffer for holding said GFP- encapsulated client data frames received across said SONET/SDH transport network, the method comprising: sending an identification tag for said local transport interface with at least an initial one of said GFP-encapsulated client data frames; receiving information from said remote transport interface of memory available in said buffer in terms of bytes to hold GFP-encapsulated client data frames and of round trip transit time indication, the information including a confirmation that the remote transport interface has received the at least one of said GFP-encapsulated client data frames having the identification tag; receiving identification tags for each of said GFP-encapsulated client data frames received by said remote transport interface and the number of bytes available in said remote transport interface buffer at the time of receipt of said identification tag by said remote transport interface; determining whether an identification tag has been received from said remote transport interface within a predetermined amount of time; tracking the number of bytes of GFP-encapsulated client data frames, sent after the at least one of said GFP-encapsulated client data frames having the identification tag, in transit from said local transport interface to said remote transport interface, including counting the number of bytes of each of said GFP-encapsulated client data frames transmitted by said local transport interface to said remote transport interface; and transmitting GFP-encapsulated client data frames responsive to said information of said number of bytes available in said remote transport interface buffer and said number of bytes in transit from said local transport interface to said remote transport interface to maximize usage of, without overfilling, said buffer, including transmitting more GFP-encapsulated client data frames responsive to said determining that said identification tag has not been received within said predetermined amount of time so that said SONET/SDH transport network from said local transport interface to said remote transport interface is efficiently utilized compensates for lost bandwidth due to dropped GFP frames or tag acknowledgments.