Patent ID: 7672330

Claim:
A method for sending network management messages and control messages in a general framing procedure (GFP) frame, comprising the following steps: 1) when network layer data arrives at a source, the source determines a type of the network layer data where determining the type of the network layer data further comprises determining if the type of the network layer data comprises at least one of a IPv4, IPv6 and connectionless protocol (CLNP) message; 2) the source fills a UPI field and performs GFP encapsulating where the source fills the UPI field of the GFP frame based on the type of the network layer data and where GFP encapsulating comprises encapsulating the GFP frame with at least one of a IPv4 message, a IPv6 message and a CLNP message, wherein: a) if an address length of the received network layer data is set to 20, the source sets the UPI to 0001111 to indicate the GFP frame comprises a CLNP message and encapsulates the GFP frame with the CLNP message; b) if the address length is not set to 20 and a first 4 bits of a header field comprising the received network layer data is set to “0100”, the source sets the UPI field to “00010000” to indicate that the GFP frame comprises an IPv4 message and encapsulates the GFP frame with the IPv4 message; and c) the source sets the UPI filed to 00010001 to indicate that the GFP frame comprises an IPv6 message and the source encapsulates the GFP frame with the IPv6 message, if the address length is not set to 20 and a first 4 bits of the header field comprising the received network layer data is set to “0110”, 3) the source performs physical layer processing on the GFP frame; 4) the source sends the GFP frame to a sink.