Dual asynchronous mapping of client signals of arbitrary rate

A method performed in a network including at least a first node, a second node, and a third node, the method comprising:

• receiving, by the first node, a client signal at a client rate;
• asynchronously encapsulating, by the first node, the client signal in a first frame of a first rate;
• asynchronously encapsulating, by the first node, the first frame in a second frame of a second rate, the second frame being a first asynchronously mapped frame;
• outputting, by the first node, the second frame to the second node;
• receiving, by the second node, the second frame;
• extracting, by the second node, the first frame from the second frame;
• asynchronously encapsulating, by the second node, the first frame in a third frame of a third rate;
• transferring, by the second node, the third frame through at least a portion of the second node;
• recovering, by the second node, the first frame from the third frame;
• asynchronously encapsulating, by the second node, the first frame in a fourth frame of a fourth rate;
• outputting, by the second node, the fourth frame to the third node, the fourth frame being a second asynchronously mapped frame;
• receiving, by the third node, the fourth frame;
• extracting, by the third node, the first frame from the fourth frame;
• extracting, by the third node, the client signal from the first frame;
• and
• outputting, by the third node, the client signal,
• the client rate, the first rate, the second rate being independent of each other.

An intermediate node in a network that includes an ingress node and an egress node, the intermediate node comprising:

• an ingress line module;
• an egress line module;
• and
• a switch fabric connected to the ingress line module and the egress line module;
• the ingress line module being configured to:
• receive a first frame from the ingress node,
• the first frame encapsulating a second frame,
• the second frame encapsulating a client signal,
• the first frame being associated with a first rate,
• the second frame being associated with a second rate,
• the client signal being associated with a third rate, and
• the first frame comprising a first asynchronously mapped frame,
• recover the second frame from the first frame,
• asynchronously map the second frame to a third frame that is associated with a fourth rate, and
• transfer the third frame to the switch fabric,
• the switch fabric being to:
• transfer the third frame to the egress line module,
• the egress line module being configured to:
• recover the second frame from the third frame,
• asynchronously map the second frame to a fourth frame that is associated with a fifth rate, and
• output the fourth frame to the egress node, the fourth frame being a second asynchronously mapped frame,
• the intermediate node not recovering the client signal from the second frame.

A method for transferring data across a network that includes an ingress node, an egress node, and a plurality of intermediate nodes, the method comprising:

• receiving, at the ingress node, a plurality of client signals that comprise a corresponding plurality of client rates;
• asynchronously mapping, at the ingress node, each of the plurality of client signals into a plurality of first frames,
• each of the plurality of first frames comprising a same structure and a same rate;
• transporting the plurality of first frames across the network to the egress node via one or more of the plurality of intermediate nodes;
• asynchronously mapping, within one of the one or more of the plurality of intermediate nodes, one of the plurality of first frames into a second frame;
• transmitting, within the one of the one or more of the plurality of intermediate nodes, the second frame through at least a portion of the one of the one or more of the plurality of intermediate nodes;
• recovering, within the one of the one or more of the plurality of intermediate nodes, the one of the plurality of first frames from the second frame;
• asynchronously mapping, within the one of the one or more of the plurality of intermediate nodes, the one of the plurality of first frames into a third frame;
• outputting the third frame to the egress node,
• none of the one or more of the intermediate nodes recovering any of the plurality of client signals;
• and
• recovering the plurality of client signals at the egress node.