Alignment of TDM-based signals for packet transmission using framed and unframed operations

A network element comprising:

• a number of line cards, each of the number of line cards including:
• a deframer unit to receive a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) signal, the TDM signal including a payload and overhead data, the deframer to generate frame alignment data based on the overhead data;
• a packet engine unit coupled to the deframer unit, the packet engine unit to receive the payload, the overhead data and the frame alignment data and to generate a number of packet engine packets, wherein a payload of a packet engine packet stores one frame within the TDM signal such that the packet engine packets include the payload and the frame alignment data;
• and
• a packet processor coupled to the packet engine unit, the packet processor to receive the packet engine packets and to generate network packets based on the packet engine packets;
• and
• at least one control card coupled to a number of line cards.

A method comprising:

• receiving a TDM signal that includes overhead data and payload data;
• generating frame alignment data based on locations of frame boundaries within the TDM signal;
• placing the TDM signal into packet engine packets based on the frame boundaries within the TDM signal, wherein the overhead data, the payload data and the frame alignment data are within packet engine packets, such that each packet engine packet corresponds to a frame within the TDM signal;
• and
• encapsulating the packet engine packets into network packets.

A method comprising:

• receiving a first Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) signal that includes overhead data and payload data;
• determining frame boundaries within the first TDM signal, and generating frame alignment data for the first TDM signal;
• placing the first TDM signal into first packet engine packets based on the frame boundaries within the first TDM signal, wherein a payload of a packet engine packet stores one frame within the TDM signal;
• receiving a second TDM signal;
• placing the second TDM signal into second packet engine packets, independent of frame boundaries within the second TDM signal;
• and
• generating network packets from the first and second packet engine packets using a same packet processor.

A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a machine, caused said machine to perform operations comprising:

• receiving a TDM signal that includes overhead data and payload data;
• generating frame alignment data based on locations of frame boundaries within the TDM signal;
• placing the TDM signal into packet engine packets based on the frame boundaries within the TDM signal, wherein the overhead data, the payload data and the frame alignment data are within packet engine packets, such the packet engine packet corresponds to a frame within the TDM signal;
• and
• encapsulating the packet engine packets into network packets.

A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause said machine to perform operations comprising:

• receiving a first Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) signal that includes overhead data and payload data;
• determining frame boundaries within the first TDM signal, and generating frame alignment data for the first TDM signal;
• placing the first TDM signal into first packet engine packets based on the frame boundaries within the first TDM signal, wherein a payload of packet engine packet stores one frame within the TDM signal;
• receiving a second TDM signal;
• placing the second TDM signal into second packet engine packets, independent of frame boundaries within the second TDM signal;
• and
• generating network packets from the first and second packet engines packets using a same packet processor.

An apparatus comprising:

• a packet processor to receive network packets, wherein payloads of the network packets are to include portions of a number of packet engine packets, the packet processor to extract the payloads of the network packets;
• a packet engine unit coupled to the packet processor, the packet engine unit to receive the payloads of the network packets, the packet engine unit to reconstruct the number of packet engine packets, wherein a packet engine packet corresponds to a frame of a TDM signal and includes frame alignment data for the TDM signal, the frame alignment data to include a boundary of a superframe, wherein the superframe is to include a number of frames within the TDM signal;
• and
• a framer unit coupled to the packet engine unit, the framer unit to receive the frames of the TDM signal and the frame alignment data, wherein the framer unit is to reconstruct the superframes within the TDM signal.

An apparatus comprising:

• a line card, to be used in a network element, including,
• a deframer unit to deframe a frame that includes overhead data and a payload that is either TDM data or packet based data, the deframer to generate frame alignment data based on said overhead data when said payload is TDM data,
• a packet engine unit, coupled to the deframer unit, to generate a packet engine packet that includes the payload, the frame alignment data, and the overhead data from said frame when said payload of said frame is TDM data, and to locate packet boundaries within the payload of said frame when said payload of said frame is packet based data, and
• a packet processor coupled to the packet engine unit, to deframe the TDM data into lower layer frames and add a header to each to generate network packets when said payload of said frame is TDM data, and to generate network packets based on the payload and the located packet boundaries when said payload of said frame is packet-based data.