Patent ID: 7058062

Claim:
A communication system including a plurality of communication apparatuses, said communication system transfers a packet from a first communication apparatus to a second communication apparatus, each communication apparatus comprising: a plurality of interfaces; a memory which stores new connection identifiers; a converter which converts connection identifiers of received packets to said new connection identifiers stored in said memory; a switch which transfers a received packet to one of said interfaces based on a new connection identifier, wherein a control signal is communicated via a first connection between said first communication apparatus and said second communication apparatus for determining a second connection through which said packet is to be transferred, and determining a new connection identifier corresponding to said second connection, said new connection identifier is stored in the memories of a plurality of communication apparatuses in which said second connection is to be setup, and wherein when said packet is received by one of said interfaces of said first communication apparatus, said connection identifier of said received packet is converted to said determined connection identifier stored in said memory and said received packet is output to one of said interfaces of said second communication apparatus via said plurality of communication apparatuses in which said second connection is setup.