Establishing connection across a connection-oriented first telecommunications network in response to a connection request from a second telecommunications network

摘要

A first Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) Internet Protocol (IP) data network transmits data to a second MPLS IP network via a legacy network, which would not otherwise be able to handle the required user network interface (UNI) protocol by configuring the legacy network and its connection computing apparatus (CCA) so that they emulate an MPLS network. When a firt network element (NE) receives a connection (UNI) request from the MPLS network under a UNI protocol, the UNI request is passed to the CCA, which then sets the required connection across the legacy network via a second network element (NE) to an NE of the second network. Once the connection has been set, the CCA instructs the NE to send a return signal to the requesting network indicating that the connection has been successfully set. Data packets may then be transmitted across the network.

主权项

1. A method of operating a connection-oriented first communications network having a plurality of first network elements in which connections across the first network elements are determined by a connection computing apparatus, the connection-oriented first communications network being connectable to a second communications network by a network element, the second communications network having a plurality of second network elements, the method being performed to establish a connection across the connection-oriented first communications network in response to a connection request from the second communications network, the method comprising the steps of:
the connection computing apparatus receiving from the network element information relating to the connection request which the network element received from the second communications network; the connection computing apparatus sending to the network element a signal indicative of a status of the connection; and clearing down any intermediate connections established in relation to the connection request if setting of the connection failed.