Route switching mechanisms for source-routed ATM networks
US6178171A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 24, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jan 23, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 24, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L61/10
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method is implemented to enable networks employing source-route bridging to participate in route switched, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), networks. Such source-routed networks, for example, Token-Ring LANs, incorporate an end-to-end route description in the data packets transmitted by the source station. The end-to-end route description is contained in a Route Information Field (RIF). The method implemented herein associates an RIF with the ATM address corresponding to a destination station. This permits the source-route bridged network to exploit the efficiencies of layer-2 connections and the high-speed switching characteristics of the ATM network.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.