Reframing circuitry with virtual container drop and insert functionality to support circuit emulation protocols

An apparatus comprising:

• reframing circuitry adapted to control one or more communications between a physical layer device and a link layer device;
• wherein in a first direction of communication the reframing circuitry receives a container frame with the container frame having a first arrangement of columns;
• the reframing circuitry being configured to output a virtual container frame;
• wherein the virtual container frame provided by the reframing circuitry includes a modified version of the container frame with the modified version of the container frame having a second arrangement of columns different than the first arrangement of columns;
• wherein the reframing circuitry receives the container frame from the physical layer device and outputs the virtual container frame to the link layer device;
• and
• wherein the physical layer device comprises a legacy mapper integrated circuit having a container frame interface but not a virtual container frame interface, and wherein the reframing circuitry is configured to allow the container frame interface of the legacy mapper integrated circuit to communicate with a virtual container frame interface of the link layer device.

An apparatus comprising:

• reframing circuitry adapted to control one or more communications between a physical layer device and a link layer device;
• wherein in a first direction of communication the reframing circuitry receives a container frame with the container frame having a first arrangement of columns;
• the reframing circuitry being configured to output a virtual container frame;
• wherein the virtual container frame provided by the reframing circuitry includes a modified version of the container frame with the modified version of the container frame having a second arrangement of columns different than the first arrangement of columns;
• wherein the reframing circuitry receives the container frame from the physical layer device and outputs the virtual container frame to the link layer device;
• and
• wherein in a second direction of communication the reframing circuitry receives from the link layer device a virtual container frame comprising a container frame with the container frame having the second arrangement of columns;
• the reframing circuitry being configured to output to the physical layer device a modified version of the container frame;
• wherein the modified version of the container frame provided by the reframing circuitry to the physical layer device has the first arrangement of columns.

A communication system comprising:

• a plurality of communication devices arranged in one or more networks;
• at least one of said communication devices comprising:
• a physical layer device;
• a link layer device;
• and
• reframing circuitry adapted to control one or more communications between the physical layer and link layer devices;
• wherein the physical layer device has a container frame interface but not a virtual container frame interface;
• wherein in a first direction of communication the reframing circuitry receives a container frame from the container frame interface of the physical layer device with the container frame having a first arrangement of columns comprising a path overhead column;
• the reframing circuitry being configured to output a virtual container frame;
• wherein the virtual container frame provided by the reframing circuitry includes a modified version of the container frame with the modified version of the container frame having a second arrangement of columns different than the first arrangement of columns;
• and
• wherein the second arrangement of columns comprises a reordering of payload information columns of the first arrangement of columns.

A method comprising:

• receiving in a first direction of communication between a physical layer device and a link layer device a container frame;
• wherein the physical layer device has a container frame interface but not a virtual container frame interface;
• wherein the container frame is received from the container frame interface of the physical layer device, with the container frame having a first arrangement of columns comprising a path overhead column;
• generating a virtual container frame that includes a modified version of the container frame with the modified version of the container frame having a second arrangement of columns different than the first arrangement of columns;
• and
• outputting the virtual container frame;
• wherein the second arrangement of columns comprises a reordering of payload information columns of the first arrangement of columns.