Patent ID: 7000026

Claim:
A source node having a plurality of multi-channel links connecting to core nodes in a network, each of said multi-channel links comprising a respective plurality of channels, said source node operable to: determine, for each multi-channel link in said plurality of multi-channel links: a first merit index based on a known propagation delay along said each multi-channel link, said first merit index having a first upper bound corresponding to a lowest propagation delay; a second merit index determined based on a current vacancy of said each multi-channel link, said second merit index having a second upper bound corresponding to full vacancy in said multi-channel link; and a composite merit index determined as a sum of said first merit index and said second merit index; retain, in a control table, an identifier of a last-used channel in each of said multi-channel links for each data stream from among a plurality of data steams originating from said source node; receive a data unit belonging to a particular data stream from among said data streams; select a particular multi-channel link from among said plurality of multi-channel links according to a desired distribution of data streams over the plurality of multi-channel links and according to said composite merit index of said each multi-channel link; ascertain, using said control table, a particular last-used channel by said particular data stream in said particular multi-channel link; and transmit said data unit over a particular channel in said particular multi-channel link, said particular channel bearing a logical relationship to said particular last-used channel.