Patent ID: 7724672

Claim:
A cell transfer apparatus, comprising: a physical interface block that includes a plurality of input ports to receive a plurality of signals and a plurality of output ports to output the plurality of signals; a switch block that includes a plurality of input ports to receive the plurality of signals from the plurality of output ports of the physical interface block and a plurality of output ports, the switch block to: receive an input operation and maintenance (OAM) cell at a first one of the input ports, transfer the input OAM cell and an input port number associated with the first one of the input ports to a first one of the output ports, receive an output OAM cell at a second one of the input ports, and transfer the output OAM cell to a second one of the output ports; where, the switch block further is to write the input port number associated with the first one of the input ports in a Header Error Control (HEC) field of the input OAM cell; and an OAM cell processing hardware block connected to the first one of the output ports and the second one of the input ports of the switch block and comprising: a memory unit to store the output OAM cell and output the output OAM cell to the switch block based on the input OAM cell, the input port number and a port failure signal transmitted from the physical interface block.