Method of controlling frame-relay module, and high-speed switching system

A method of controlling a frame-relay module having a plurality of frame-relay interface circuits, each of which is equipped with a logical-path setting table, for adding logical-path information to a frame, which has entered from a local fast bus, upon referring to said logical-path setting table, and for accepting a frame sent from another party and then sending the frame to the local fast bus, a cell assembly/disassembly circuit for assembling a frame into an ATM cell and disassembling an ATM cell into a frame, and an ATM interface circuit for sending an ATM cell that has entered from the cell assembly/disassembly circuit to an ATM switch and inputting an ATM cell, which has entered from the ATM switch, to the cell assembly/disassembly circuit, said method comprising the steps of:

• entering, from a console, a port address PA of a frame-relay interface circuit, data specifying a frame-relay module to which said frame-relay interface circuit belongs, a processing command and processing data;
• outputting, from a control unit, a control-information frame containing a port address PA, a processing command and processing data;
• assembling said control-information frame into an ATM cell and adding VPI/VCI, which conforms to said frame-relay module, to said ATM cell;
• routing the ATM cell to a frame-relay module based upon the VPI/VCI;
• restoring the ATM cell to a control-information frame by the ATM interface circuit and cell assembly/disassembly circuit in said frame-relay module, and sending the control-information frame to a bus to which each frame-relay interface circuit is connected;
• causing a frame-relay interface circuit, to which a port address identical with the port address contained in the control-information frame has been assigned, to accept said control-information frame;
• and
• executing processing, which conforms to the command contained in the control-information frame, in the frame-relay interface circuit.

A high-speed switching system having a plurality of frame-relay interface circuits, each of which is equipped with a logical-path setting table, for adding logical-path information to a frame, which has entered from a local fast bus, upon referring to said logical-path setting table, and for accepting a frame sent from another party and then sending the frame to the local fast bus, a cell assembly/disassembly circuit for assembling a frame into an ATM cell and disassembling an ATM cell into a frame, and an ATM interface circuit for sending an ATM cell that has entered from the cell assembly/disassembly circuit to an ATM switch and inputting an ATM cell, which has entered from the ATM switch, to the cell assembly/disassembly circuit, said system comprising:

• input means for entering a port address PA of a frame-relay interface circuit, data specifying a frame-relay module to which the frame-relay interface circuit belongs, a processing command and processing data;
• a control unit for creating and outputting a control-information frame containing a port address PA, a processing command and processing data;
• an ATM signaling unit for assembling the control-information frame into an ATM cell and adding a VPI/VCI, which conforms to the frame-relay module, to said ATM cell;
• an ATM switch for routing the ATM cell to a frame relay module based upon the VPI/VCI;
• means provided in the frame-relay module for restoring the received ATM cell to a control-information frame and sending said control-information frame to a bus to which each frame-relay interface circuit is connected;
• and
• a frame-relay interface circuit, to which a prescribed port address has been assigned, for accepting a control-information frame containing a port address identical with the said prescribed port address and executing processing conforming to a command contained in this control-information frame.