Method and device for managing heterogeneous communication networks

A translating device comprising:

• an in-band interface module operable to receive and transmit data and control information in a shared channel of an in-band network;
• an out-of-band (OOB) interface module operable to:
• receive and transmit data in a data channel of an OOB network;
• and
• receive and transmit control information in a control channel of the OOB network;
• an address mapping unit operable to:
• identify, based on first control information received in the shared channel of the in-band network, another translating device associated with a destination device of first data receive in the shared channel of the in-band network;
• and
• determine that second data received in the data channel of the OOB network is destined for a destination located in the in-band network based on second control information associated with the second data and received in the control channel of the OOB network;
• and
• a tagging module operable to separate the first data and the first control information and to combine the second data and at least a portion of the second control information.

A method for providing communication service in a heterogeneous communication system that includes an out-of-band (OOB) network in which data is transmitted in a data channel and control information is communicated on a control channel, and a plurality of in-band networks in which data and control information is transmitted in a shared channel, wherein each of the in-band networks is coupled to the OOB network through one of a plurality of translating nodes, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a first translating node, data and control information from a first in-band network coupled to the first translating node, wherein the data and the control information are received in a shared channel of the first in-band network;
• identifying a second translating node associated with a destination address of the data based on the first control information, the second translating node coupling the OOB network and a second in-band network with which the destination address is associated;
• transmitting the control information to the second translating node in the control channel of the OOB network;
• transmitting the data to the second translating node on the data channel of the OOB network;
• receiving, at the second translating node, the control information in the control channel of the OOB network;
• receiving, at the second translating node, the data from in the data channel of the OOB network;
• determining based on the control information that the data is destined for a device coupled to the second in-band network;
• combining the data and at least a portion of the control information at the second translating node;
• and
• transmitting the combined data and control information to a destination in the second in-band network.