Patent ID: 6944124

Claim:
In a communication network including a plurality of ATM exchangers that are connected to one another via communication lines and a network management system for monitoring the ATM exchangers, where the ATM exchanger comprises: an input-side cell header translator that receives a cell transmitted via a communication line, translates PVC identification information of the received cell to header translation information used within the ATM exchanger, and outputs the header translation information to a switch portion in a succeeding stage; a first cell header translator that performs mutual translation between the header translation information and the PVC identification information used with respect to a master connection to output the resulting information; and a second cell header translator that performs mutual translation between the header translation information and the PVC identification information used with respect to a bypass connection to output the resulting information, a bypass control system based upon NMS control in an ATM exchanger comprising: means that, according to a request to set a bypass route from the network management system, sets a bypass connection value with respect to the second cell header translator beforehand and that has separately stored therein the information of the master connection that is used in the first cell header translator; and means that, when a request to switch to the bypass route is received from the network management system, initializes the first cell header translator to reset the set information of the master connection presently used and that performs loop-back, to the output of the second cell header translator, of an output cell used with respect to the master connection that has been received by the first cell header translator and has been transferred from the input-side cell header translator; wherein the bypass route is constructed by way of at least one ATM exchanger that is not directly connected to the master connection.