Mapping of routing traffic to switching networks

A method of receiving and transmitting data units by building one or more switched connections by distributing and using labels within a network of nodes, said labels being assigned to network addresses by nodes within a network, wherein an initial node initiates a set-up message to every node adjacent to said initial node, the set-up message identifying a network address and an assigned label, and wherein each node in the network comprises at least one incoming and at least one outgoing port, a router device with a routing database, a switching device with a switching database, said method comprising:

• a) each node that receives said set-up message then testing from its routing database, for the network address in the set-up message, whether said set-up message arrived from an adjacent node in the direction of the network address,
• b) each receiving node on which the test set forth in step(a) succeeds, and which has adjacent nodes other than the one from which the set-up message was received, then assigns a second label for each said adjacent node,
• c) each receiving node then transmits thereto a set-up message comprising the received network address and the newly assigned second label,
• d) each receiving node which transmits a set-up message as set forth in step (c), creates entries in the switching database to switch data units between the second labels assigned in step (b) and the label received in the set-up message, and
• e) each node of the network repeating steps (a) through (d) upon receiving any set-up message from any node other than the initiating node,
• wherein one or a plurality of destination addresses are mapped to one or a plurality of labels, to build said one or more switched connections in said network.

A method of receiving and transmitting data units using labels within a network of nodes by building one or more switched connections by requesting said labels, said labels being assigned to network addresses by nodes within a network, wherein each node in the network comprises at least one incoming and at least one outgoing port, a router device with a routing database, a switching device with a switching database, a linking database mapping a network address to a label, said method comprising:

• a) a node sends a request message to a neighboring node for a label for a network address in the routing database,
• b) each node receiving a request message that does not have a label in its linking database for the network address in said request message discards said request message, and
• c) each node receiving a request message that has a label in its linking database for the network address in the said request message responds with a message containing said label,
• wherein one or a plurality of destination addresses are mapped to one or a plurality of labels, to build said one or more switched connections in said network.

A method of removing one or more switched connections by withdrawing labels assigned to one or more network addresses by nodes within a network, wherein each node in the network comprises at least one of incoming and at least one outgoing port, a router device with a routing database, a switching device with a switching database, and wherein each node which is to withdraw an assigned label for a network address removes the existing corresponding entry from the switching database and sends as sending node a withdraw message to a neighboring node, said message containing said network address and said label, said method comprising:

• a) each said node receiving the said withdraw message thereupon testing via the routing database that said message arrived from a neighboring node in the direction of the network address in said message,
• b) said receiving node testing that said label exists in the switching database,
• c) each said receiving node on which the tests as set forth in step (a) and step (b) succeeds, then sends a withdraw message to its neighboring nodes for which a switching database entry exists that corresponds to said label, and
• d) each said node on which the test set forth in step (a) and step (b) succeeds then removes the switching database entry between the sending node's label and the label assigned to each said neighboring node,
• wherein one or a plurality of destination addresses are mapped to one or a plurality of labels, to remove said one or more switched connections in said network.

A method of removing one or more switched connections by withdrawing labels assigned to one or more network addresses by nodes within a network, wherein each node in the network comprises at least one incoming port and at least one outgoing port, a router device with a routing database, a switching device with a switching database, a linking database which maps a routing database entry to a label, and wherein each node which is to withdraw an assigned label for a network address removes the existing corresponding entry from the switching database and sends as sending node a withdraw message to a neighboring node, said message containing said network address, said method comprising:

• a) each said node receiving said withdraw message thereupon testing via the routing database that said message arrived from a neighboring node in the direction of the network address in said message,
• b) each said receiving node on which the tests as set forth in step (a) succeeds, then sends a withdraw message to its neighboring nodes for which a switching database entry exists that corresponds to said label,
• c) each said node on which the test set forth in step (a) succeeds then removes each existing switching database entry between the sending node's label and the label assigned to each said neighboring node, and
• d) each said node receiving said withdraw message on which the test as set forth in (a) succeeds then removes each existing corresponding label from the linking database for the network address,
• wherein one or a plurality of destination addresses are mapped to one or a plurality of labels, to remove said one or more switched connections in said network.

A program storage device readable by a computing machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps of a method of receiving and transmitting data units by building one or more switched connections by distributing and using labels within a network of nodes, said labels being assigned to network addresses by nodes within a network, wherein an initial node initiates a set-up message to every node adjacent to said initial node, the set-up message identifying a network address by and an assigned label, and wherein each node in the network comprises at least one incoming and at least one outgoing port, a router device with a routing database, a switching device with a switching database, said method comprising:

• a) each node that receives said set-up message then testing from its routing database, for the network address in the set-up message, whether said set-up message arrived from an adjacent node in the direction of the network address,
• b) each receiving node on which the test set forth in step (a) succeeds, and which has adjacent nodes other than the one from which the set-up message was received, then assigns a second label for each said adjacent node,
• c) each receiving node then transmits thereto a set-up message comprising the received network address and the newly assigned second label,
• d) each receiving node which transmits a set-up message as set forth in step (c), creates entries in the switching database to switch data units between the second labels assigned in step (b) and the label received in the set-up message, and
• e) each node of the network repeating steps (a) through (d) upon receiving any set-up message from any node other than the initiating node,
• wherein one or a plurality of destination addresses are mapped to one or a plurality of labels, to build said one or more switched connections in said network.

A program storage device readable by a computing machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps of a method of receiving and transmitting data units using labels within a network of nodes by building one or more switched connections by requesting said labels, said labels being assigned to network addresses by nodes within a network, wherein each node in the network comprises at least one incoming and at least one outgoing port, a router device with a routing database, a switching device with a switching database, a linking database mapping a network address to a label, said method comprising:

• a) a node sends a request message to a neighboring node for a network address in the routing database,
• b) each node receiving a request message that does not have a label in its linking database for the network address in said request message discards said request message, and
• c) each node receiving a request message that has a label in its linking database for the network address in said request message responds with a message containing said label,
• wherein one or a plurality of destination addresses are mapped to one or a plurality of labels, to build said one or more switched connections in said network.

A program storage device readable by a computing machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps of a method of removing one or more switched connections by withdrawing labels assigned to one or more network addresses by nodes within a network, wherein each node in the network comprises at least one incoming port and at least one outgoing port, a router device with a routing database, a switching device with a switching database, and wherein each node which is to withdraw an assigned label for a network address removes the existing corresponding entry from the switching database and sends as sending node a withdraw message to a neighboring node, said message containing said network address and said label, said method comprising:

• a) each said node receiving said withdraw message thereupon testing via the routing database that said message arrived from a neighboring node in the direction of the network address in said message,
• b) said receiving node testing that said label exists in the switching database,
• c) each said receiving node on which the tests as set forth in step (a) and step (b) succeeds, then sends a withdraw message to its neighboring nodes for which a switching database entry exists that corresponds to said label, and
• d) each said node on which the test set forth in step (a) and step (b) succeeds then removes the switching database entry between the sending node's label and the label assigned to each said neighboring node,
• wherein one or a plurality of destination addresses are mapped to one or a plurality of labels, to remove said one or more switched connections in said network.

A program storage device readable by a computing machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps of a method of removing one or more switched connections by withdrawing labels assigned to one or more network addresses by nodes within a network, wherein each node in the network comprises at least one incoming port and at least one outgoing port, a router device with a routing database, a switching device with a switching database, a linking database which maps a routing database entry to a label, and wherein each node which is to withdraw an assigned label for a network address removes the existing corresponding entry from the switching database and sends as sending node a withdraw message to a neighboring node, said message containing said network address, said method comprising:

• a) each said node receiving the said withdraw message thereupon testing via the routing database that said message arrived from a neighboring node in the direction of the network address in said message,
• b) each said receiving node on which the tests as set forth in step (a) succeeds, then sends a withdraw message to its neighboring nodes for which a switching database entry exists that corresponds to said label,
• c) each said node on which the test set forth in step (a) succeeds then removes each existing switching database entry between the sending nodes label and the label assigned to each said neighboring node, and
• d) each said node receiving said withdraw message on which the test as set forth in (a) succeeds then removes each existing corresponding label from the linking database for the network address,
• wherein one or a plurality of destination addresses are mapped to one or a plurality of labels, to remove said one or more switched connections in said network.