Frame based data transmission over synchronous digital hierarchy network

A data communications network comprising;

• a plurality of network devices each comprising:
• an Ethernet frame switching device;
• a rate adaptation device for adapting an Ethernet data rate to a rate between an Ethernet data rate and a synchronous transmission data rate, the rate adaptation device comprising a plurality of channels, and arranged to adapt an Ethernet data frame into at least one bit stream, wherein each bit stream has a data rate equivalent to the rate of a synchronous digital network virtual container;
• and a mapping device for mapping said rate adapted data between said Ethernet frame switch and a synchronous digital channel;
• wherein said plurality of mapping devices communicate over said synchronous digital channel;
• and
• wherein said plurality of Ethernet frame switching devices communicate over an Ethernet channel carried on said synchronous digital channel.

A communications network comprising:

• a plurality of network devices each comprising:
• a rate adaptation means for adapting a data rate between an Ethernet data rate and a synchronous transmission data rate, the rate adaptation device comprising a plurality of channels, and arranged to adapt an Ethernet data frame into at least one bit stream, wherein each bit stream has a data rate equivalent to the rate of a synchronous digital network virtual container, and a mapping device for mapping data between an Ethernet channel and a synchronous digital channel;
• wherein said plurality of mapping means communicate over said synchronous digital channel;
• and
• said plurality of rate adaptation means communicate over said Ethernet channel carried on said synchronous digital channel.

A data communications network comprising:

• a plurality of Ethernet frame based data switches;
• a plurality of rate adaptation means communicating with said plurality of Ethernet frame based data switches, said rate adaptation means for adapting a data rate of said Ethernet frame based data to a synchronous digital data rate and comprising a plurality of channels and arranged to adapt an Ethernet data frame into at least one bit stream, wherein each bit stream has a data rate equivalent to the rate of a synchronous digital network virtual container;
• and
• a plurality of mapping means for mapping said rate adapted Ethernet frame based data onto a synchronous digital channel, wherein said rate adaptation means further comprises:
• at least one buffer store for storing said Ethernet frame based data prior to mapping said rate adapted data into said synchronous digital channel;
• and
• means to initiate flow control by sending signals back to an Ethernet switch source of said Ethernet frame based data such that said Ethernet switch source delays sending a further Ethernet frame until at least one buffer store of said rate adaptation means has sufficient capacity to accept new Ethernet data frames.

An Ethernet port card comprising:

• an Ethernet physical port communicating with an Ethernet frame switch;
• a rate adaptation means for adapting between an Ethernet data rate and at least one synchronous digital network virtual container data rate;
• and
• a synchronous digital network payload mapper for mapping rate an adapted Ethernet frame into one or more synchronous digital network payloads,
• wherein the rate adaptation means comprises a plurality of channels, each channel adapting an Ethernet data frame into at least one bit stream, wherein each bit stream has a data rate equivalent to the rate of a synchronous digital network virtual container, and wherein said rate adaptation means further comprises a buffer store for storing said Ethernet data frames until they can be multiplexed into said one or more synchronous digital payloads, and wherein said rate adaptation means initiates flow control by sending signals back to said Ethernet frame switch to delay sending a further Ethernet frame until said buffer store has sufficient capacity to accept a new Ethernet data frame.

A data communications network comprising:

• a plurality of Ethernet frame based data switches;
• a plurality of rate adaptation means communicating with said plurality of Ethernet frame based data switches, said rate adaptation means for adapting a data rate of said Ethernet frame based data to a synchronous digital data rate and comprising a plurality of channels and arranged to adapt an Ethernet data frame into at least one bit stream, wherein each bit stream has a data rate equivalent to the rate of a synchronous digital network virtual container;
• and
• a plurality of mapping means for mapping said rate adapted Ethernet frame based data onto a synchronous digital channel, wherein said frame based switching means are connected together in a plurality of point-to-point channels, said point-to-point channels carried over a synchronous digital channel connected between said plurality of mapping means.

A method of communicating Ethernet frame based data over a synchronous digital network comprising the steps of:

• rate adapting said Ethernet frame based data by adapting an Ethernet data frame to at least one bit stream, each bit stream having a data rate which can be multiplexed into a synchronous digital network virtual container;
• providing at least one synchronous digital network virtual container having a data rate which is compatible with said at least one bit stream data rate formed by adapted Ethernet frame based data;
• and
• inputting said bit stream into at least one synchronous digital network virtual container;
• wherein said Ethernet data frame received at a higher rate than the rate at which said at least one bit stream is input into said at least one synchronous digital network virtual container, wherein the Ethernet data frames are adapted to at least one bit stream whose data rate is taken from the group consisting of:
• 2 Mbits/s, 50 Mbits/s, and 100 Mbits/s.

A method of communicating Ethernet frame based data over a synchronous digital network comprising the steps of:

• rate adapting said Ethernet frame based data by adapting an Ethernet data frame to at least one bit stream, each bit stream having a data rate which can be multiplexed into a synchronous digital network virtual container;
• providing at least one synchronous digital network virtual container having a data rate which is compatible with said at least one bit stream data rate formed by adapted Ethernet frame based data;
• and
• inputting said bit stream into at least one synchronous digital network virtual container;
• wherein said Ethernet data frame received at a higher rate than the rate at which said at least one bit stream is input into said at least one synchronous digital network virtual container, wherein the step of providing at least one synchronous digital network virtual container comprises the step of:
• concatenating a plurality of said virtual containers together to provide a synchronous digital network data rate which is compatible with the data rate of said Ethernet data;
• and wherein the step of inputting said bit stream comprising said Ethernet frame based data into at least one synchronous digital network virtual container comprises inputting said Ethernet frame based data into said plurality of concatenated virtual containers.