Transfer of SONET traffic over a packet-switched network

A method of transferring Synchronous Optical NETwork (SONET) traffic comprising:

• receiving a SONET transmission;
• decoding the SONET transmission unto a data structure;
• converting the data structure into one or more packets by
• determining whether the data structure represents a slot of concatenated Synchronous Transport Slot (STS-Nc) service, and
• if the data structure represents a slot of concatenated STS-Nc service, then
• extracting a concatentated Synchronous Payload Envelope (SPE-Nc) payload from the data structure,
• fragmenting the SPE-Nc payload into N SPE-1 payloads,
• compressing one or more of the N SPE-1 payloads, and
• prepending each of the N SPE-1 payloads with a header;
• and
• sending the one or more packets across a packet-switched network.

A method of transferring Synchronous Optical NETwork (SONET) traffic comprising:

• receiving a SONET transmission;
• decoding the SONET transmission into a data structure;
• converting the data structure into one or more packets by
• determining whether the data structure represents a slot of concatenated STS-Nc service, and
• if the data structure represents a slot of concatenated Synchronous Transport Slot (STS-Nc) service, then
• extracting a concatenated Synchronous Payload Envelop (SPE-Nc) payload from the data structure,
• fragmenting the SPE-Nc payload into a plurality of data segments,
• compressing one or more of the plurality of data segments and
• prepending each of the plurality of compressed data segments with a header;
• and
• sending the one or more packets across a packet-switched network.

A method of transferring Synchronous Optical NETwork (SONET) traffic comprising:

• receiving a SONET transmission comprising a plurality of Synchronous Transport Slots (STSs);
• decoding the SONET transmission into a data structure;
• converting the data structure into one or more packets by
• extracting one or more Synchronous Payload Envelopes (SPEs) from the plurality of STSs, and
• selectively compressing the extracted SPSs to which the extracted SPE corresponds;
• and
• transmitting the one or more packets across a packet-switched network.

A method of transferring Synchronous Optical NETwork (SONET) traffic comprising:

• receiving a SONET transmission comprising a plurality of Synchronous Transport Slots (STSs);
• decoding the SONET transmission into a data structure;
• extracting Synchronous Payload Envelopes (SPEs) from the plurality of STSs in the data structure;
• inserting a representation of a SPE of the extracted SPEs into payloads of one or more packets;
• decoupling end-to-end timing signaling associated with the SONET transmission and allowing resynchronization by a recipient of the SONET transmission by providing timing information corresponding to the SPE in a header of the one or more packets;
• and
• transmitting the one or more packets across a packet-switched network.

A network device comprising:

• a first interface configured for communication with a Synchronous Optical NETwork (SONET) backbone;
• a second interface configured for communication with a packet-switched network;
• a memory;
• a SONET decoder coupled to the memory and the first interface to receive SONET transmissions from the SONET backbone via the first interface, the SONET decoder configured to store Synchronous Transport Signal (STS) payload information associated with the SONET transmissions in the memory;
• and
• a packetization module coupled to the memory and configured to transmit the STS payload information over the packet-switched network by
• extracting the STS payload information from the memory,
• selectively compressing the extracted STS payload information based upon an associated type of service,
• inserting the selectively compressed STS payload information into payloads of one or more packets, and
• transmitting the one or more packets via the second interface.

A network device comprising:

• a first interface configured for communication with a Synchronous Optical NETwork (SONET) backbone;
• a second interface configured for communication with a packet-switched network;
• a memory;
• a SONET decoder coupled to the memory and the first interface to receive SONET transmission from the SONET backbone via the first interface, the SONET decoder configured to store Synchronous Transport Signal (STS) payload information associated with the SONET transmission in the memory;
• and
• a packetization module coupled to the memory and configured to transmit the STS payload information over the packet-switched network by
• extracting the STS payload information from the memory,
• inserting a representation of the STS payload information into payloads of one or more packets,
• decoupling end-to-end timing signaling associated with the SONET transmission and allowing resynchronization by a recipient of the SONET transmission by providing timing information corresponding to the STS payload information in a header of the one or more packets, and
• transmitting the one or more packets via the second interface.

A network device comprising:

• a first interface means for communicating with a Synchronous Optical NETwork (SONET) backbone;
• a second interface means for communicating with a packet-switched network;
• a memory means for storing Synchronous Transport Signal (STS) payload information associated with SONET transmissions received on the first interface means;
• a SONET decoder means coupled to the memory means and the first interface means, for decoding the SONET transmissions and storing Synchronous Transport Signal (STS) payload information associated with the SONET transmissions in the memory means;
• and
• a packetization means, coupled to the memory, for transmitting the STS payload information over the packet-switched network by
• extracting the STS payload information from the memory,
• inserting a representation of the STS payload information into payloads of one or more packets,
• decoupling end-to-end timing signaling associated with the SONET transmission and allowing resynchronization by a recipient of the SONET transmissions by providing timing information corresponding to the STS payload information in a header of the one or more packets, and
• transmitting the one or more packets via the second interface means.

A system comprising:

• a first network device configured for communication with a Synchronous Optical NETwork (SONET) network via a first interface and configured for communication with a packet-switched network via a second interface;
• a second network device configured for communication with the packet-switched network;
• and wherein
• the first network device is configured to transfer SONET traffic received on the first interface from the SONET network over the packet-switched network to the second network device by extracting Synchronous Transport Signal (STS) payload information from the SONET traffic, selectively compressing the extracted STS payload information based upon an associated type of service, packetizing the selectively compressed STS payload information into payloads of one or more packets, and transmitting the one or more packets via the second interface.

A system comprising:

• a first network device configured for communication with a Synchronous Optical NETwork (SONET) network via a first interface and configured for communication with a packet-switched network via a second interface;
• a second network device configured for communication with the packet-switched network;
• and wherein
• the first network device is configured to transfer a SONET transmission received on the first interface from the SONET network over the packet-switched network to the second network device by extracting Synchronous transport Signal (STS) payload information from the SONET transmission, packetizing the STS payload information into payloads of one or more packets, decoupling end-to-end timing signaling associated with the SONET transmission by providing timing information corresponding to the STS payload information in a header of the one or more packets, and transmitting the one or more packets via the second interface.