Asynchronous transfer mode communication with inverse multiplexing over multiple communication links

An asynchronous transfer mode communication system, comprising:

• means for transferring a series of communication cells over each of a set of communication links while setting a framing bit in each communication cell such that the framing bits provide a predetermined framing bit stream for each communication link;
• and
• means for receiving the communication cells over the communication links and aligning the received communication cells from each communication link according to the corresponding framing bit stream,
• wherein the means for aligning the received communication cells comprises:
• means for determining a differential delay among an active set of the communication links using the framing bit streams;
• means for deleting the communication links that exceed a predetermined delay limit from the active set of the communication links if the differential delay is greater than the predetermined delay limit.

A communication system, comprising:

• a first communication node coupled for communication over each of a set of communication links according to an asynchronous transfer mode protocol, the first communication node accessing a series of communication cells according to an outbound cell sequence and transferring the communication cells over the communication links as a plurality of framing bit streams according to an inverse multiplexed sequence;
• and
• a second communication node coupled to receive the communication cells over the communication links and reconstruct the outbound cell sequence of the communication cells while compensating for differential delays among the communication links,
• wherein the second communication node determines a differential delay among an active set of the communication links using the framing bit streams and deletes the communication links that exceed a predetermined delay limit from the active set of the communication links.

A method of transferring data across a data communications network comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of point-to-point links, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting from a first node of the plurality of nodes over each of a set of the plurality of communications links a plurality of communication cells, each of the cells having a framing bit, wherein the framing bit of each of the communication cells is set during the step of transmitting such that the plurality of framing bits formed by each framing bit of each of the communication cells provides a framing bit stream for each communication link;
• setting a control channel bit in each communication cell while transmitting the communication cells over each communication link such that the control channel bits provide a control message for each communication link, the control message specifying an ordered list of logical identifiers, one logical identifier for each communication link, such that the ordered list indicates a multiplexed sequence of transfer of the communication cells over the communication links;
• and
• receiving at a second node of the plurality of nodes the communication cells over the communication links and aligning the received communication cells from each communication link according to the corresponding framing bit stream.

An asynchronous transfer mode communication system, comprising:

• means for transferring a series of communication cells over each of a set of communication links while setting a framing bit in each communication cell such that the framing bits provide a predetermined framing bit stream for each communication link;
• means for setting a control channel bit in each communication cell while transferring the series of communication cells over each of the set of communication links such that the control channel bits provide a control message for each communication link, the control message specifying an ordered list of logical identifiers, one logical identifier for each communication link, such that the ordered list indicates a multiplexed sequence of transfer of the communication cells over the communication links;
• and
• means for receiving the communication cells over the communication links and aligning the received communication cells from each communication link according to the corresponding framing bit stream.

A communication system, comprising:

• a first communication node coupled for communication over each of a set of communication links according to an asynchronous transfer mode protocol, the first communication node configured to access a series of communication cells according to an outbound cell sequence and to transfer the communication cells over the communication links as a plurality of framing bit streams according to an inverse multiplexed sequence while manipulating a framing bit in each communication cell such that the framing bits provide a predetermined framing bit stream for each communication link;
• a second communication node coupled to receive the communication cells over the communication links and configured to reconstruct the outbound cell sequence of the communication cells while compensating for differential delays among the communication links and to align the received communication cells from each communication link according to the corresponding framing bit stream,
• wherein the first communication node is further configured to manipulate a control channel bit in each communication cell while transferring the communication cells over each communication link such that the control channel bits provide a control message to the second communication node, the control message specifying an ordered list of logical identifiers, one logical identifier for each communication link, such that the ordered list indicates a multiplexed sequence of transfer of the communication cells over the communication links.