System and method for switching packet traffic over an optical transport network

摘要

Described are a system and method for switching packet traffic over an optical transport network. A network element comprises plurality of mappers for mapping packet traffic to electrical streams. A host network interface includes a packet switch that forwards a first portion of the packet traffic to a first one of the mappers and a second portion of the packet traffic to a second one of the mappers. The first one of the mappers maps the first portion of the packet traffic into a first electrical stream targeted to a first destination on an optical transport network and the second one of the mappers maps the second portion of the packet traffic into a second electrical stream targeted to a second destination on the optical transport network.